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MHSA(Q&)A: Detroit Lions rookie Chris Greenwood

May 25, 2012

By Brian Spencer
Second Half

Five years ago, Chris Greenwood was No. 28 for the Detroit Martin Luther King football team, a key contributor for a Crusaders as they finished 7-3 and made the playoffs.

These days, he's a national sports story.

Greenwood, a 6-foot-1, 193-pound cornerback, is attempting the rare jump from Division III college football to the NFL. A standout at Albion College, he was selected in the fifth round of last month's NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

His round-trip travels from his hometown and back again also included a stop at Northwood University. Greenwood played his final three college seasons for the Britons, last fall being named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year.

What is your favorite high school memory?

Winning the city championship senior year at Ford Field.

Were there any life/football lessons that you learned in high school that you’ve carried with you through college and now to the league?

Work hard; don’t let anything distract you. You are capable of doing anything that you put your mind to, and then some.

What is the biggest transition you’ve seen from DIII football at Albion to the Lions?

The talent difference I’ve had to get acclimated to, as well as technique. Technique has a much heavier emphasis now. I’ve also noticed a difference in speed and different terminology. For example, simple names for coverages have changed.

If you could trade places with anyone in the world right now, who would it be?

Nobody! I feel like I am in the best position possible. I’m living the dream.

What advice would you give to aspiring athletes who want to make the jump from high school to college? College to professional?

Never give up. Don’t ever quit. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. If you work hard and have the ability, they will find you.

What wide receiver tested you most to get to where you are at today?

My older brother (Doug Greenwood); growing up he was always stronger. We used to play, just him and I. He was pretty good. I had to figure out what way I was going to cover him because he was that much faster and stronger. This all took place just in the backyard or the park. 

Would you say that your past at a Division III college has helped or hurt you more in the transition from college to professional ball?

It didn’t hurt, as far as what I have to do and what I’m doing now (in practice or off the field), but I feel like it affected my draft position. I could have gotten more exposure at bigger schools. At this point none of that matters; I’m glad to be where I am. Very happy.

Who was your favorite football player growing up?

Charles Woodson (former University of Michigan and current Green Bay Packers cornerback)

Is Donald Driver (Packers WR) more or less intimidating now that he has won "Dancing with the Stars?" If asked, would you be on "Dancing with the Stars?"

No way, he is not more intimidating because of that. If I were asked to do that, I wouldn’t right now.  Maybe later on in my career I would do that, but right now I've got to stay focused.

PHOTOS courtesy of Albion College. Note about the interviewer: Brian Spencer is an MHSAA intern this summer, and was an Albion College football teammate of Greenwood's the last three seasons.

Goodrich’s Jakoby Lagat (24) followed the block of teammate Chase Burnett during their team’s Division 4 Semifinal win over Harper Woods.

1st & Goal: 2024 11-Player Semifinals Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 25, 2024

Of 16 teams that earned trips Saturday to this weekend’s MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals, eight will be returning to Ford Field for at least the second season in a row – with a repeat Division 8 championship game leading off the upcoming lineup.

MI Student AidNotable as well, four schools earned an opportunity to play on the season’s final day for the first time – and those are just some of the storylines to catch up on during a quick week that will conclude the MHSAA’s 2023 Fall season.

We’ll be back with a preview of all eight championship games Wednesday evening. For now, see all 16 Semifinals at a glance:

(Note: Highlights from Saturday's 8-Player Finals will be included in a final football championship "Review" next week.)

Division 1

HEADLINER Hudsonville 27, Rochester Adams 7 Hudsonville (12-1) will play for a championship for the first time since 2005. The Eagles broke away with 20 unanswered points after the teams went into halftime tied. Adams finished 10-3, reaching double digit wins for the third time in four years. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.

HEADLINER Detroit Cass Tech 17, Detroit Catholic Central 14 Cass Tech (11-2) will make the one-mile Finals trip for the first time since 2016 after handing Detroit Catholic Central (12-1) its only defeat this season. Alex Graham returned the opening kickoff for a Technicians score, and they held off the Shamrocks late with a Corey Sadler interception and blocked field goal attempt. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.

Division 2

HEADLINER Byron Center 41, East Lansing 14 Byron Center (12-1) advanced to a championship game for the first time with a stunning defensive performance – stopping a Trojans offense averaging 38 points per game – and on the legs of quarterback Landon Tungate, who ran for six touchdowns. East Lansing finished 9-4. Click for more from FOX 17.

HEADLINER Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 28, Birmingham Groves 27 (OT) Groves scored first in overtime, but St. Mary’s (10-3) stopped a 2-point conversion try and then scored and made the extra point to earn a first Finals trip since 2016. Groves was playing in its fourth Semifinal over the last nine years and finished 12-1. Click for more from the Oakland Press.

Division 3

HEADLINER Zeeland West 32, DeWitt 20 West (12-1) was able to slow down one of the most productive offenses in MHSAA history, holding the Panthers (12-1) to nearly 37 points below their season average to reach Ford Field for the first time since 2015. DeWitt did finish its season with 702 points, good for seventh all-time, with its final 54 ppg average ranking eighth. Click for more from the Holland Sentinel.

HEADLINER Detroit Martin Luther King 35, Mason 14 The Crusaders (10-3) avenged last season’s Semifinal loss to Mason to earn a return to Ford Field for the seventh time in nine seasons. Mason finished 10-3 this fall, and a combined 45-8 over quarterback Cason Carswell’s four seasons on varsity. Click for more from MLIVE-Detroit.

Division 4

HEADLINER Niles 62, Grand Rapids South Christian 30 Niles will carry its longest playoff run ever into the season’s final weekend after putting up its most points this season. South Christian scored first, but the Vikings (12-1) took a 38-14 led into halftime and denied the Sailors (8-5) what would have been a third-straight trip to Ford Field. Click for more from the Niles Daily Star.

HEADLINER Goodrich 28, Harper Woods 14 In another 2023 Semifinal rematch, Goodrich also avenged by defeating the reigning Division 4 champion. Standout running back Chase Burnett scored three times to help send the Martians (12-1) back to Ford Field for the second time in three seasons. Harper Woods finished 9-4. Click for more from the Flint Journal.

Division 5

HEADLINER Frankenmuth 42, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 35 In their fourth playoff matchup over the last five seasons, Frankenmuth (13-0) was able to get past its nemesis for the first time taking at one point a 28-7 lead before holding off the Cougars’ comeback attempt. Frankenmuth had three rushers reach 100 yards, while quarterback Odin Spencer threw for 390 and three scores for GRCC (8-5). Click for more from the Saginaw News.

HEADLINER Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 49, Flat Rock 7 Notre Dame Prep (11-1) earned its first trip to the Finals with the latest of several impressive performances this fall. Most notably, the Fighting Irish stopped a Flat Rock offense averaging 43 points per game, while putting up 49 against a defense that was giving up only 13. The Rams finished their second-straight Semifinals season at 10-3. Click for more from the Oakland Press.

Division 6

HEADLINER Lansing Catholic 34, Boyne City 22 Quarterback Alex Fernandez starred again, leading Lansing Catholic (10-3) back to Ford Field for the first time since 2021 but third time over the last six seasons. Boyne City capped its longest playoff season in a decade at 10-3. Click for more from WLNS.

HEADLINER Jackson Lumen Christi 35, Marine City 6 Lumen Christi (12-1) will finish its season at Ford Field for the third straight and seventh time over the last nine seasons. Kadale Williams ran for four touchdowns, including three of at least 60 yards. Marine City (10-3) was averaging 45 points per game before the Titans defense posted its third single-digit performance of the playoffs. Click for more from WILX.

Division 7

HEADLINER Millington 35, North Muskegon 28 Millington (12-0) earned its first championship game berth, beginning to pull away during the closing seconds of the first half on a hook-and-ladder touchdown pass and then holding off North Muskegon’s comeback attempt at the end. The Norsemen finished their second-straight Semifinals season at 11-2. Click for more from the Saginaw News.

HEADLINER Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 38, Schoolcraft 7 It was quite a weekend for Monroe St. Mary, as the volleyball team won its first Finals championship since 2020 and the football team advanced to Ford Field for the first time since 2019. The Falcons (13-0) did so in part by locking down a Schoolcraft offense that averaged nearly 37 points per game entering the weekend. The Eagles finished 11-2. Click for more from the Monroe News.

Division 8

HEADLINER Beal City 17, Fowler 16 Beal City (11-2) has proven tough to overtake in close games this month as the Aggies claimed their third in a row by seven points or fewer – and actually fourth of the season with their two losses also by just four points apiece. Beal will return to Ford Field for the first time since 2021, while Fowler ended its first Semifinal run since 2019 at 12-1. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

HEADLINER Riverview Gabriel Richad 36, Decatur 30 Gabriel Richard earned its first trip to the Finals with big days from senior Joey Calhoun and junior Derek Lesko. Calhoun scored three touchdowns and Lesko twice with two interceptions as the Pioneers held of Decatur (11-2), which completed its best season since 2002 with two losses by a combined 14 points. Click for more from the Southgate News-Herald.

MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

PHOTO Goodrich’s Jakoby Lagat (24) followed the block of teammate Chase Burnett during their team’s Division 4 Semifinal win over Harper Woods. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)