The Detroit Lions are in the middle of their best season in franchise history. Detroit finished the regular season with a franchise-best record of 15-2. The Lions secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and gets a bye week during the Wild Card round.

Former Alabama coach Bill O’Brien heaped praise on Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs during a recent interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

O’Brien explained how Gibbs came onto his radar and how he ultimately ended up at Alabama.

“During my second year he transferred in from Georgia Tech to Alabama,” O’Brien said. “Robert Gillespie, our running backs coach, he had a connection with [Gibbs] from when he recruited him at North Carolina.”

O’Brien praised Gibbs as one of the best players on Alabama’s offense during his final collegiate season.

“Outside of Bryce Young, I’d say that Jahmyr Gibbs was our best player on the offense. We tried to get him the ball all the time,” O’Brien continued. “I mean, I think at one point he was leading our team in receptions and rush yards. I had a very good idea that he would be a great player. He’s an awesome player, fun to watch.”

O’Brien concluded by giving Gibbs one of the best compliments that he could.

“I mean he’s a tough kid,” O’Brien concluded. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached, he’s awesome.”

Jahmyr Gibbs reacts to breaking Barry Sanders’ Lions TD record

Gibbs has proven O’Brien right during his first two years in the NFL.

Gibbs is having an incredible 2024 season. During Week 18, Gibbs passed an impressive milestone in his career. The second-year running back scored 20 total touchdowns during the regular season. This led the NFL in scrimmage touchdowns and broke a Lions’ single-season franchise record set by Barry Sanders.

Gibbs was nearly speechless when asked what it meant to break one of Barry’s record.

“Just being able to have a record close to his, or I broke it, but being in the same talk with him is just crazy,” Gibbs told ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

Gibbs explained that Sanders is one of the few players he would watch highlight reels of as a kid.

“I didn’t watch a lot of NFL games, but I would watch a lot of highlights,” Gibbs said. “So he was one of the main people. Him and LeSean McCoy.”

Gibbs finished the regular season with 250 carries for 1,412 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He also added four receiving touchdowns to get up to 20 scrimmage touchdowns on the year.

Gibbs and the Lions get some extra rest this week thanks to being the No. 1 seed. They will be ready to host the lowest-seeded remaining NFC team after the Wild Card round during the Divisional round.