The Lions selected Hassanein in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and his emotional reaction quickly went viral. On that memorable night, fans watched him have an intense phone conversation with head coach Dan Campbell—telling Campbell he would go to war for him and all he needed was someone to believe in him. We’ll dive deeper into that in a moment.

But the draft wasn’t the only life-changing moment that day. Hassanein also got engaged to his girlfriend. Rather than dragging out the engagement, the couple decided to tie the knot this summer—just before training camp began.

“It’s been absolutely wild,” Hassanein said. “It doesn’t even feel real. We got married last Saturday, two hours outside of Boise. Then I had to drive back, fly out Monday, land that same day, and report to camp Tuesday. We only got one day for a honeymoon. It’s been non-stop.”

That whirlwind would be enough for anyone, but rookies like Hassanein also have to uproot their entire lives and move to a brand-new city. So far, he says Detroit has been incredibly welcoming, with fans already showing him plenty of love and support.

As for football, reality is starting to hit. “Man, it’s a blessing,” Hassanein said about the first day of camp. “All glory to God and Jesus. Just being in an NFL facility is surreal. I’m beyond thankful. I’ve just got to take it one step at a time.”

On that opening day of training camp, Hassanein described it as getting back into the rhythm of football—getting his feet under him and shaking off the rust.

“Today was about finding that football groove again. You can train all offseason, but nothing compares to actual football shape. That only comes from being on the field. I was flying around, making some plays, hyping up my teammates—just enjoying the moment.”

And now for the part that’s weighed heavily on Hassanein since draft night—earning the trust of Coach Dan Campbell. That emotional draft night phone call showed how much it meant to him. So, I asked: does he think Campbell believes in him yet?

“I’m still earning it,” he said. “Pads aren’t on yet, and trust takes time. You can’t just hand it out because someone has good tape or a good reputation. It comes from what you show on the field, and from building relationships day by day. You’ve got to prove it. When a coach says, ‘I trust you,’ it has to be backed by something you did.”

Hassanein also mentioned that part of gaining Campbell’s confidence is showing his value to the coaching staff—especially defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, assistant Caleb Collins, and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers. That’s where he plans to start earning his stripes.