Marquette, MI – August 26th, 2025 – Isaac TeSlaa was born on February 20, 2002, in Hudsonville, Michigan. From the day he was born, he idolized the Detroit Lions. As a young child, you could find TeSlaa running around on the football field, inspired by his father, Mark, a former wide receiver at Hillsdale College. “You could see he was athletic and fairly tall for his age, but it wasn’t until probably his sophomore year of high school that his aggressive nature really started to show,” his father noted.
TeSlaa played high school sports at Unity Christian, a private school in Hudsonville, MI. He excelled in football and track. As part of his high school basketball team, he enjoyed being part of a state championship-winning squad. “I was probably the 11th man on the bench, but it was pretty cool. Getting that trophy felt great,” he recalled. During his time on the track team, TeSlaa set the long jump record with a jump of 22 feet and ¾ inches.
TeSlaa found his greatest success on the football field, where he played as a quarterback in a run-heavy wing-T offense. During his junior season, he led Unity Christian to its first-ever state championship in 2018, accounting for three touchdowns and two interceptions in the final game. In his senior season, he finished the year with 1,139 rushing yards, 448 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, and 14 rushing touchdowns. Despite his impressive stats, TeSlaa received only one college offer, which was from Valparaiso.
TeSlaa decided to switch to wide receiver, believing it was better suited to his physical attributes. Following in his father’s footsteps, he began his college football career at Hillsdale College. In his second season, he earned the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year award and received an honorable mention for All-American. After showcasing his talent, he moved up to Division I with a transfer to Arkansas, where he played for two seasons.
After his collegiate career, TeSlaa entered his name into the 2025 NFL Draft. Prior to the draft, he had an interview with the Lions, where he showed up wearing a custom-made Lions jersey with his last name on the back. On the second night of the draft, the Lions traded up from pick 102 to 70 to select Isaac TeSlaa.
TeSlaa participated in all three preseason games, proving he belonged in the NFL. Over those games, he caught 10 out of 13 targets for 146 yards and three touchdowns. “It’s cool. I mean, I was here in 2018 for the Michigan State Championship, Division 6, and I remember walking out of the tunnel thinking, this is the coolest moment of my life! Then I got drafted by the Lions, and that was the coolest moment of my life. Now, I’m walking out of the tunnel as a Lion and scoring a touchdown. I mean, I’m just so blessed. I’m so thankful to God for being so faithful to me.”
