Second Lt. Collin Mooney runs through a drill at Oklahoma Pro Day in Norman, Okla., in March. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Collin Mooney is going to get his shot. The second lieutenant stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma received a call from the Detroit Lions today inviting him to come up to Michigan for a workout, the Detroit News reported.
“I’ve been waiting for two years now to get that call,” Mooney told the Detroit News. “I’m very excited about it and I’m very appreciative that they’re giving me the opportunity. I just want to get in there and play a football game and see if I can make the team. If it doesn’t work out with Detroit, hopefully this is a jumping point.”
This is the first post-lockout workout for Mooney. Back in April the Packers gave him a look.
Mooney’s current situation — on active duty, but eligible to apply for an early exit to play in the NFL — mirrors that of current Detroit Lion linebacker Caleb Campbell. A 2008 graduate of West Point, Campbell was drafted by the Lions that year but was not allowed by the Army to join the team for training camp. After serving two years on active duty, he signed with the team last year and made a few appearances in the latter part of the season.
Mooney, who graduated from West Point in 2009, broke Army’s single-season rushing record his senior year. He’s listed at 5-10, 245, and according the Detroit News, the Lions would be looking to use Mooney as a potential replacement for power runner Mikel Leshoure, a rookie RB who sustained a season-ending injury earlier in training camp.
