 On April 23, 1999, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions.He became a key backup, registering 26 tackles (20 solo).In 2004, although he was a third-string defensive tackle, he was also a part of the kickoff wedge team (Jared DeVries, Tyrone Hopson and Cory Schlesinger) that received a special teams recognition from USA Today's "All-Joe Team".