Lions to host 2 practices at area high schools

The Detroit Lions are taking some of their training camp practices on the road again this summer.

The Lions have not yet announced their training camp schedule, but while most of camp once again will be held at their Allen Park facility, August practices are being planned for Novi and Dearborn Edsel Ford high schools.

The Novi workout is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 5, the third day of practice, and will be open to the general public, while the Edsel Ford practice is closed to the public and will be later in the preseason.

Last year, the Lions held a public practice at Wayne State that drew an estimated 9,000 fans.

Novi athletic director Brian Gordon said his football stadium seats 3,500-4,000 people, while Edsel Ford AD Robert Picano said his stadium holds 2,500-3,000 people. Both have additional standing-room capacity in the surrounding areas.

Last year, fans had to obtain free tickets to gain admission to the Wayne State practice. There will be crowd-control measures in place for this year's Novi workout, too.

"It was my understanding that they were looking for a place that was, in terms of proximity to Allen Park, where they could go back and forth if need be it, and they were looking for a place that could accommodate a large crowd," Gordon said. "We have a great parking situation here with our school and with our civic center next door, and with our seating capacity, and we have a new surface that we put in (last year). ... But they sought us out, and we're more than willing to accommodate a great opportunity."

Lions veterans report for training camp Aug. 2, and they play their first preseason game against the New York Jets on Thursday, Aug. 13, at Ford Field.

The Lions are following a similar schedule to the one they used last preseason, in Jim Caldwell's first season as coach. Like the Wayne State practice last year, this year's Novi practice is scheduled to be the team's first workout in shells.

Caldwell said last year that he likes to bring training camp to people who might not otherwise get a chance to see the Lions work out, and Gordon said his community is looking forward to hosting the team.

"Think about it," Gordon said. "It's a chance to kind of rub elbows with the best, and it's pretty cool. It's really cool."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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