Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he was impressed by running back Sione Vaki’s voice after the team’s annual rookie talent show.
Vaki, a fourth-round pick, then showcased his impressive pipes when he sang for the media after Lions practice Wednesday in Allen Park, Mich.
“I don’t know if (Vaki had) the best performance, but as far as the best voice that voice that I’ve heard, probably, it’s up there,” Campbell said Wednesday.
“The performance was, ‘ehh’ — the voice, it was pretty phenomenal. It really is.
“So maybe he’ll sing for you guys sometime. You need to ask him.”
Vaki told reporters he “tried [his] best” during the rookie talent show.
“Probably being a little too kind right there,” he said of Campbell’s remarks.
“As far as what I sang, I sang a song from, if you guys have ever seen the movie, it’s called ‘Lean On Me.’ The little boys are singing the song in the bathroom.”
Vaki was referring to a scene from the 1989 film, “Lean On Me,” when a group of students in Paterson, N.J., sang about their Fair Eastside high school.
Last year, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went viral for his performance at the talent show, when he sang Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
“Everybody sang. I think Vaki was amazing. I mean that guy can really sing,” Lions offensive tackle Colby Sorsdal said. “So, I thought I had it last year, but he might’ve one-upped me with his vocals and his pitch, per se. I don’t know, I’m not a music guy, but he definitely had a talent for it.
“Vaki was pretty close. Nothing like Hutch’s performance, I remember watching that on ‘Hard Knocks’ before I got drafted, which was pretty cool. Nothing like that, but I think definitely the most talented was Vaki.”
The Lions face the Steelers in their preseason finale on Saturday, before they open the 2024 season against the Rams in Detroit on Sept. 8.
