In the fourth quarter of the Detroit Lions' Week 8 game vs. the Minnesota Vikings, the fans at Ford Field erupted in a chant: "Vaki! Vaki! Vaki!"
It took running back Sione Vaki a moment to register they were chanting his name, having taken a second to catch his breath. He thought something sounded familiar, though, and gave a closer listen to the fans around him.
"Yeah, that was crazy! That's one of those full circle moments," Vaki said. "Like, dream come true type of moments."
Vaki had six carries for 39 yards in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, including a three-play stretch of a five-yard reception, 12-yard rush and 10-yard rush to get the Lions into Vikings territory. Three additional plays later, the drive resulted in a touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff to wide receiver Jameson Williams, which was ultimately the game-winning score that put Detroit up 19-15 on the scoreboard, 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in the NFC North.
The third-year running back finished the afternoon with 11 carries for 65 yards and one catch for five yards. It was his best offensive performance not just of the season but of his NFL career.
When the Lions drafted Vaki in the fourth-round of the...