ALLEN PARK >> After proclaiming that he would die for the Detroit Lions head coach on draft day, rookie edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein finally got the chance to make his intentions known to Dan Campbell in person on the first day of rookie minicamp.

“I just walked up to him in practice and I just (shook) his hand, and I was like, ‘Coach, it’s me,’” Hassanein said Friday, wearing a big smile and holding up the glove that he said he’ll keep “forever.”

Hassanein, a sixth-round pick (No. 196) out of Boise State in April, is thrilled to finally be in Detroit and even more thrilled to finally be on the field, where he can start honing his craft with hopes of seeing the field regularly this fall.

Early expectations are typically low for a player drafted late on Day 3, but Hassanein’s fiery presence and captivating backstory — he’s the first Egyptian to reach the NFL and played just two seasons of football before earning a scholarship at Boise State — make him a player worth keeping a close eye on through the spring and summer camps. His intangibles should eventually give him a solid floor; the question is how quickly the ceiling will develop.

“When grit and obstacles come,” Hassanein said Friday, “I’m gonna rise to it. I’m not going to fall down. So I’m just looking forward to that. I look forward to hardships. I want to get better at stuff, because I don’t want to take the easy way out.

“I want to earn everything.”

Hassanein started two years at Boise State and was an All-Mountain West first-team selection in both seasons, totaling a combined 32 tackles for loss, 22 sacks and 115 pressures in that span. His defining traits are a relentless motor on the field and his work ethic off it, which will undoubtedly help him at the next level. However, like many rookies, he needs to refine most aspects of his game.

Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew said he expects “growing pains” as Hassanein “gets taught more tools” as a pass rusher. Yet, he’s intrigued by his play style and what his development could look like under new defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.

“He plays the game the way we like to play it. He plays it hard. He’s a second-effort rusher. He can win with his hands as a rusher. I think he’s got some upside as a rusher, and I think when Coach Rodgers gets his hands on him and coaches him up, the kid’s going to be a good player for us,” Agnew said.

As far as where Hassanein needs to grow as a rusher, specifically, Agnew said he needs to get more familiar with “some nuances of the game.”

“Using his hands better, learning when to rush with leverage, learning when you have the sweet spot and turn the corner,” Agnew said.

None of this is news to Hassanein, who said he needs to work on “everything.”

He also called the pre-draft process “the longest four months of my life” and is looking forward to recentering his focus on the game itself.

“My pass rush can always get better,” Hassanein said.

“I can always get better with my technique, my hand placement, my get-off, my games, my stunts, collaborating, my communication … watching the pre-snap movements.

“All that stuff I need to get better at, and (I’m) just taking it day by day.”

Hassanein was born in Orange County, California, and moved to Egypt when he was 6.

He returned to California during high school and then played four seasons at Boise State.

While he hasn’t gotten a chance to explore Metro Detroit quite yet, his first visit to his new home state has been an enjoyable one.

“I’m just focused on football right now,” he said.

“I heard there’s a lot of good shawarma here.

“So I’ll go around definitely, but I’m just focused on football right now.

“But (the landscape) is so green.

“I love it.”

Following the conclusion of rookie minicamp, which took place in Allen Park this past weekend, Hassanein’s next chance to continue early growth will be at OTAs later this month.