Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

Tion Green and George Winn were inseparable during their one season together at Cincinnati.

Green watched how Winn carried himself both on and off the football field, and when Winn gave him advice - from picking up his sagging pants to changing his body language in front of coaches - he tried his best to comply.

"He's like my big brother," Green said.

So when Winn, the former Detroit Lions running back, heard Green made a predraft visit to his old team last month, he reached out to his good friend to see how it went.

“He was like, 'I think that would be a great fit for you Tion, the way you run the ball,'" Green said. "George was like, 'Look, I didn't play running back there, I played special teams,' but he was like, 'I think you have a good shot of actually working your way up the roster to learn and become a pro.' He was like, 'I think you got a chance of being a good running back cause you fit their system.'"

Read more:

Detroit Lions mum on possible interest in LeGarrette Blount

UDFA tracker: Quick bios on the rookies Lions signed after NFL draft

Green kept those words in mind as he sifted through a handful of undrafted free agent offers to reach a deal with the Lions last week.

A power back at 6 feet and 230 pounds, he'll compete for a roster spot in a backfield that returns Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, Dwayne Washington and fullback Michael Burton.

“I’m ready to hit somebody," Green said. "Not my teammates, but I’m just ready to compete and hit somebody."

Green said he stayed in regular contact with the Lions and running backs coach David Walker in the months leading up to the draft.

He visited Allen Park on the same day as Michigan's Jabrill Peppers, when general manager Bob Quinn asked him if he wanted to be like the hard-hitting Winn, a player Lions coaches still call "Novocaine."

"I said, 'Hell no, I want to be better than George.' That's the standard George set for me," Green said.

And Green said the Lions called him several times Saturday on Day 3 of the draft.

"Coach Walker calls and I see that Detroit has like the next two picks coming up so in my mind I’m like, 'Holy crap, it’s about to happen,'" Green said. "But unfortunately he was just like, 'Hey, look. We’re going in a different direction with things, but I want to assure you that we have a spot here for you, we would love for you to come play here.' He basically read me my contract and was like, 'Look, we don’t want to bring you in for no tryout, we want to sign you to a three-year deal. We think you’d really fit this program.'"

Read more:

Birkett: Lions biggest draft miss? No help added at running back

Detroit Lions following Atlanta blueprint with speed at linebacker

A short while later, Green said Walker called back.

"He actually called back with the GM on speaker phone and like all of those guys – as the draft was going on – all of those guys was like welcome to the family, One Pride and everything," Green said. "And he was just like, 'Tion, sorry we didn’t draft you but that doesn’t mean anything. You can still come in here and work your tail off and earn a spot.' He actually told me to have a chip on my shoulder because of that and add more fuel to the fire. So I was like, 'Heck yeah.' So I knew I was going to Detroit before the draft was even over."

Green, who ran for 743 yards and two touchdowns for the Bearcats last year, said he's realistic about what it will take to earn a roster spot in Detroit.

He played on most special-teams units at Cincinnati, from field-goal protect to punt cover, and said his special-teams ability is "what I believe separates me from the rest of the running backs in the draft." He once offered to play fullback for the Bearcats, and is willing to do so again with the Lions. And he said he'll take Winn's advice when he gets to town and sit in the front row of every morning and pour his heart into every practice.

“I know I’m not going to go in and probably be a franchise running back," Green said. "I understand that, man. I’m going to bust my tail to become one, but I’m not dumb. I better have an unbelievable camp. But I’m not trying to come in and, 'Coach, I’m a franchise back.' No, I know my place, I know my role. I know it’s going to take time, I got to grow. I’m going to come in and try to be a franchise special-teams player. That’s my main goal, do whatever I can to better the Detroit Lions."

Briefly: The Lions announced today that they have waived cornerback Ian Wells. He tore his ACL last year.

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

Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!