DETROIT (WXYZ) — Big crowds were predicted for the NFL Draft in Detroit, but the record turnout the first night may be bigger than anyone expected.
There was so much energy, excitement and many people in downtown Thursday starting early in the day through the night.
“It's just a maize right now. We don't know where to go,” Detroit Lions fan Ron Secrest said.
The streets of downtown were packed with football fans. More than an hour before the draft, the entrances to watch it shut down after hitting capacity.
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“Obviously, you came here prepared for the draft?” I asked Dave Belanger, a Lions fan from Windsor, Ontatio.
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir,” Belanger responded.
“But you can’t get in?” I asked him.
“Nope, nope. It’s all full,” Belanger said.
In the middle of the draft Thursday night, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Detroit set the all-time attendance record for the first day of the draft with more than 275,000 people.
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Ryan Dewolf, a Cleveland Browns fan, traveled to Detroit from Ohio but also didn’t make it into the draft area.
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“Four and a half hours (drive),” Dewold said. “A little upset. A little disappointed. I feel like Detroit should've done a bit of a better job figuring this out, but it is what is it is. We’re going to have a good time.”
The fans who got inside arrived hours early excited to see the city like never before.
“I've never felt so much pride for Detroit. Look at this: it’s amazing,” Elizabeth Brett from Rochester Hills, said.
Lions fan Raffinee Pittman from Detroit said, “This is really cool. It’s really cool to see the city like this.”
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We spoke with Susan Haluzan, Fan of the Year for the Arizona Cardinals. We asked her how someone becomes Fan of the Year.
“You pretty much dedicate your life and all your financial resources to going to the games. You travel internationally, show up for your team,” Haluzan said.
It wouldn’t be the NFL Draft without super fans proudly wearing their Fan of the Year patches. This community of fans is like a giant family.
For an event with 32 teams in one city, Browns fans Jenny Stover Benedict described it as a reunion.
“It’s like a reunion because we all know each other. It’s one place we all get to see each other once a year,” she said.
Whether from out of town or living in Detroit, NFL fans went all out for the draft. It’s something lifelong Detroiters and those visiting say they’ve never seen before.
“Detroit, you guys are doing us right. You’re doing us right,” Cardinals fan Troy Landrum said.
Pittman said, “I come here, look at our city — it's a cool place to be. We love it here, man.”
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