Jim Schwartz, Lions know exactly what to expect from DE Kyle Vanden Bosch

Lions know what to expect from DE Vanden Bosch

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz has many questions to answer before the regular-season opener in two weeks.

None of them involve defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Schwartz knows Vanden Bosch from their days together in Tennessee, and hasn’t had any surprises from the defensive end in his first training camp with the Lions.

“He is what he is,” Schwartz said Thursday. “Kyle Vanden Bosch is a name brand, so you know exactly what you are going to get. You are going to get consistency, and you’ll never have to worry about what he is going to do.”

Vanden Bosch is a skilled defensive lineman — he has been to multiple Pro Bowls — and one of the best-conditioned players in the league, known for his work ethic. On the first day of training camp, in a non-contact drill, he was chasing running backs and receivers 30 yards downfield, trying to strip the ball out of their hands.

“Part of that is making sure that our guys learn to finish plays without losing focus,” he said. “But part of it is just pushing the tempo and trying to get the whole team to work harder and faster. I want to get things going every day.”

Vanden Bosch knows that his effort level has become known, and wants to keep that reputation intact.

“I take a tremendous amount of pride in the fact that people think of me as the hardest-working player in football,” he said. “That means I can’t take a day off and I can’t slack off for a single drill. I have to keep working that hard and showing people what it can accomplish.”

While some of Vanden Bosch’s new teammates might initially think that his all-out performances are nothing more than an act, Schwartz says the misconception doesn’t last long.

“Kyle is like that 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “By the end of the first day of minicamp, I think everyone knew that he was for real. He just doesn’t know any other way to go.”

Of course, Vanden Bosch can work as hard as he wants, but the Lions brought him in to improve a defense that has been a major reason for the league-record 30 losses over the past two seasons. After two preseason games, he thinks he’s making an impact.

“I think the defensive line is ahead of where I thought it might be at this point,” he said. “There’s still a long way to go, but there is really a drive here to make things better. The guys that have been here will do anything to turn this around, and the new guys want to play for a winner.”