For most NFL fans, Aidan Hutchinson is a menacing defensive end whose stature on the field exudes intimidation. Thus, it might come as quite a surprise that the Lions’ star was a very good dancer in his childhood — until he decided to take football seriously.
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Speaking to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Aidan revealed that his tryst with popping and locking began in fourth grade after his mother randomly convinced him to join a dance class. Luckily for Hutchinson, this introduction to a new hobby changed his life, as he genuinely started to enjoy it a lot.
After continuing this hobby, which turned into a passion over a few years, Aidan realized that his football skills had improved due to his developing a “nice center of balance.”
For a defensive end like him, getting shrugged off the ball is a cardinal sin. Therefore, developing stellar body balance from his hip-hop lessons was a blessing in disguise from the football gods.
“Two-three years of dance and I think it gave me a nice little spin move that I use now a lot and I think it gave me a nice center of balance.”
The best part? The traits he developed early in his childhood weren’t just short-term benefits; he still reaps their rewards today.
“It was very instrumental in the foundation of my body and how I operate now,” the Lions star continued proudly.
Then why quit dancing, which he was enjoying so much? According to Aidan, it was his athleticism.
Athleticism and flexibility are killer physical traits for a footballer
As the conversation progressed, Hutchinson mentioned that his life reached a crossroads in seventh grade when he had to decide between seriously pursuing hip-hop and football. However, he realized that while he developed flexibility from his dance moves, the future 6-foot-7-inch defensive end was inherently athletic.
Considering that the combination of athleticism and flexibility is a much greater asset in football than in hip-hop, Aidan eventually decided to pursue the sport that made the best use of his resources. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Before this interview, who could have thought Aidan Hutchinson was an ace dancer? Moreover, it’s intriguing to imagine how a nearly 7-foot-tall Hutchinson would fare as a hip-hop dancer today.
That said, the Lions star made the right call in his childhood. After a storied college stint in Michigan, Hutchinson was selected by the Lions as their second overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Slowly but surely, the star defensive end is making his name in the NFL, clinching his first Pro Bowl last year. He has already recorded 119 combined tackles and 27.5 sacks in the past two years.
