Ahmed Hassanein, the 196th pick of last month’s draft, is making history as the first Egyptian to be drafted into the NFL. He is currently participating in the Detroit Lions’ minicamp and has expressed his gratitude and honor for being there.
Journey to Football
Hassanein’s journey to football began in an unlikely place—his half-brother’s small kitchen in California. It was there that he learned how to play football by watching videos on YouTube. Despite facing challenges along the way, he persevered and eventually made it to college football at New Mexico State University. He was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
Meeting Coach Dan Campbell
On Friday, Hassanein met with coach Dan Campbell for the first time. He described Campbell as “an awesome guy” and expressed his desire to learn from him both on and off the field.
Potential and Challenges
Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew sees potential in Hassanein as a rusher, noting that his hands could make him a valuable player once coached up by defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers. Agnew described Hassanein as relentless, always playing hard and winning with his hands.
However, Hassanein believes he needs more work before he can live up to expectations. He is ready for the challenges ahead and is taking it one day at a time.
Historical Significance
As one of only two players from Egypt who have ever played Division I college football (the other being former UCLA quarterback Mohamed Ibrahim), Hassanein has already made history by becoming one of only three Egyptians who have ever been drafted into any level of American professional sports, alongside former NBA player Amr Gomaa. His participation in minicamp marks another milestone on his journey toward becoming a professional athlete.
Upcoming Training Camp
The Detroit Lions are set to open their training camp next week at their Allen Park facility outside Detroit. After finishing last season with an 8-9 record and missing out on playoff contention due to losing several key players, including running back D’Andre Swift, Hassanein will likely face stiff competition during training camp. If he continues to work hard, as Agnew suggested, he may become a regular member of the team come September when they kick off their new season against Green Bay.
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
