Here's a little secret about new Detroit Lions defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison — he doesn't actually like the nickname "Snacks."

Harrison, in his first interview as a Lion, said Friday it's OK to call him "Snacks," even his mother does sometimes, but he's not a big fan of the nickname he earned as an undrafted rookie with the New York Jets.

"I grew up with a nickname," Harrison said. "That’s not my nickname, so this was given to me in the NFL. It meant I was sticking around. It just hung around. My mom calls me Snacks now, too."

Harrison said he was given the nickname by former Jets coaches Rex Ryan and Karl Dunbar in 2012 after he signed with the team out of William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Birkett chat recap:Why the excitement over Damon Harrison?

Harrison was a frequent eater in team meetings, and Dunbar, as the story goes, used to put Rice Krispies Treats on the 355-pound defensive tackle's desk as a way to motivate him to lose weight.

"It could have been worse," Harrison said. "There was a guy named Lunch Meat."

Harrison said he prefers some of the other nicknames he had growing up, including Heavy D, Boss Hogg and his personal favorite, Big Dame. But "it’s fun to call me Snacks. I don’t want to lose that."

Whatever the nickname, the Lions are counting on Harrison to provide a big lift to their 29th-ranked run defense.

Harrison is widely considered one of the best interior run defenders in the league, and the Lions have allowed 169 yards or more rushing in three of their six games this year.

"He’s a big guy in the middle that can do a lot of different things," Lions coach Matt Patricia said. "He does a great job of defeating blocks, plays with a good technique, can knock the line of scrimmage back."

Patricia said he's not sure how soon Harrison will be able to contribute, but the Lions are hoping to have their new addition on the field for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks rank seventh in the league in rushing at 127.8 yards per game, and third in attempts.

"You’ve got to look at it from their perspective," Patricia said. "They’re in one building one day and the next thing you know, a couple hours later they’re in a different building. That’s a pretty hard transition to make. That’s obviously a lot to deal with in a very short amount of time. So we’re just trying to do the best we can to go through the process. The good thing is for us we have a couple days here. We’re doing the best we can to get him up to speed and we’ll see what he looks like for the game."

Harrison said the change has been "pretty smooth so far."

The Lions finalized their trade with the New York Giants on Wednesday, and Harrison said he was fittingly watching old interview clips of "The Temptations" when his agent called to tell him he'd be changing teams.

"I’m a big Motown guy, so I’m always watching something Temptations," Harrison said.

After flying to Detroit on Wednesday, Harrison practiced with the team Thursday and Friday, and has spent most of his downtime trying to learn his new playbook.

He said he "hung out" with defensive tackles A'Shawn Robinson and Da'Shawn Hand on Thursday, "went over some things in the playbook," and is anxious to help his new team however they see fit as soon as possible.

"I don’t want to say I bring anything (to the team), I just want to add to whatever’s been here," Harrison said. "I don’t want to define myself as one, being able to do one particular thing. It’s just trying to excel whatever they need me to do."

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

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