The duality of personality and budding versatility of Lions CB Ya-Sin: 'We all like Rock'

(Getty Images)

Allen Park — When he’s not working, Abdurrahman Ya-Sin strives to live up to the meaning of his first name. Arabic in origin, it translates to servant of the Most Merciful.

“With my family, with everyone, I just want to be a kind person,” Ya-Sin said.

On the football field, not so much. Of course, no one knows him as Abdurrahman between the white lines. That’s where he goes by the more appropriate moniker, Rock.

Ya-Sin picked up the nickname — which everyone other than his parents calls him by these days — from a youth wrestling coach who struggled to pronounce Abdurrahman.

Wrestling was his first love. Ya-Sin won two state championships as a grappler. He dreamed of competing in the Olympics before he was convinced to give football a shot in 11th grade. Despite the late start, he quickly found success on the gridiron, as well, earning a scholarship at Presbyterian, eventually transferring to Temple, scoring first-team All-ACC honors as a senior, and getting drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.

His arrow continued to point up as a rookie. He started 13 games for the Colts that first year, was decent in coverage, better against the run, and his tackling was superb for the position. Stardom felt like it was around the bend, but Ya-Sin never reached the destination.

Several years later, he’s preparing to play for a fifth different team in five seasons. Regardless, something feels right about the current pairing with the Detroit Lions.

Ya-Sin isn’t expected to start in Detroit. Hell, with a veteran minimum salary and no guarantees, he arrived without assurance he’d even make the roster. However, it didn’t take long for him to show he’s one of those players coach Dan Campbell likes to say “fits us.”

“We all like Rock,” Campbell said. “His work ethic, man. He’s pretty tough, he’s physical, he’s headsy, and he’s versatile. There are a number of things he can do.”

Ya-Sin had a feeling he’d mesh with the Lions well before he signed with them as a free agent this offseason.

“I felt like I would fit in watching them on film, watching them during all those primetime games they played last year,” Ya-Sin said. “I felt I would fit in well here. Then, once I signed here, coming in during the spring, running and lifting, seeing how hard these guys work and how much it means to these guys. I just felt like I fit in immediately.

“…I feel like any defensive player with the right mindset, they want to play in an aggressive defense,” Ya-Sin said. “They want to play in a defense that swarms. Turn the film on, guys are flying around, hitting people, covering well, taking the ball away. Anybody has the right mentality playing defense would love to play here.”

Ya-Sin has that mindset. There’s some overlap with one of Detroit’s additions from last year, Amik Robertson, albeit a little quieter when going about his business. Ya-Sin is tenacious and physical. In the offseason, he stays in shape by practicing martial arts and boxing. He thrives in man coverage and loves the opportunity to get his hands into the chest of a receiver with a jam at the line of scrimmage. Perhaps even more than that, he yearns to make plays in the run game, something he's done regularly in practice and twice in limited snaps during the team’s preseason opener last Thursday.

When there’s a ball carrier in striking distance, Ya-Sin leaves mercy and kindness at the door.

“You can't be (merciful),” Ya-Sin said. “Especially in this defense, everybody has to tackle. There's a saying that you have a good tackling defense when your corners tackle. I try to put that on film. I want to compete, cover well, and when there's an opportunity to tackle, go make that tackle.”

Ya-Sin hasn’t been in Detroit long, but he has the coaching staff’s attention. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has been experimenting with a number of ways to utilize him. And during Sunday’s practice, the team even gave Ya-Sin some reps at safety, a position he hasn’t played since high school, when he was first learning the game.

“Kind of in the spring, (safeties coach Jim O’Neil) JO told me, 'Take a look at some of the safety stuff over the summer, over the break. We're going to try and put you back there during camp and see how you look,’” Ya-Sin explained. “(I’m) just taking it in stride. I'm excited about the opportunity to play anywhere — safety, corner, wherever it is, just to get on the field to help this team win, I'm excited about it.”

What can he say? Ya-Sin wants to live up to his name. No, make that his nickname.

“On the field, that's when I'm 'Rock,’” he said. “I want to be dependable, tough and someone who will compete."