ALLEN PARK >> On Day 2 of the NFL Draft, wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa’s phone finally rang.

Blissfully unaware that his hometown Detroit Lions had traded up to pick No. 70, he wasn’t sure who was on the other end.

“The TV was a little delayed so I didn’t even see the Lions trade up, and all of a sudden, I’m getting a call from a 313 number,” TeSlaa said Friday, the first day of Lions rookie minicamp. “I just about passed out.”

Friday marked the first time TeSlaa, a Michigan native drafted in the third round out of Arkansas, and his rookie teammates hit the practice field in Allen Park. While it can be tough to make sweeping observations from a walkthrough this early in the spring, it’s clear that what the Lions saw in him is real. His burst was noticeable, and — just as he did over two seasons at Arkansas — he caught everything thrown his way.

TeSlaa grew up in Hudsonville and attended Unity Christian High School, where he played quarterback in a Wing-T offense and won the state championship at Ford Field in 2018.

“That was a dream in and of itself to go out there and win a state championship at Ford Field,” TeSlaa said.

He signed with Hillsdale College as a wide receiver and played three seasons, including a 2022 campaign that saw him named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. He transferred to Arkansas, where he caught 62 passes for 896 yards and five touchdowns over two seasons.

TeSlaa’s draft call was one of the many viral moments of draft weekend. The members of his party were bursting with excitement as they waited to learn who rang, until TeSlaa subtly gave away the answer: “Thank you, Mrs. Ford,” he said, as the living room exploded.

“I stood up and everyone was still talking, I was like, ‘Everybody shut up.’ I picked up the call, and he said, ‘This is Brad Holmes, GM with the Detroit Lions,’ and I almost fell to the ground,” TeSlaa said. “It was very surreal. I don’t know if I remember a single word that anyone said to me after that point. I was just kind of in a daze, but very excited, very emotional time, obviously.

“If I could have chosen any team, it would be here, so I’m just happy to be here.”

TeSlaa’s mother posted a video of the moment on Instagram, which has since received more than 184,000 likes and been shared to various social media sites more times than one can reasonably count.

“She’s all excited, she got a million-some views on it, and she got some followers, so she thinks she’s an influencer now or something,” TeSlaa joked.

Entering the draft, TeSlaa was widely projected as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. Naturally, many fans and pundits questioned Holmes’ decision to give up a pair of third-round picks in next year’s draft to move up 32 spots for him. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, waiting even a few more picks to make a move could have resulted in the Lions missing out on a player who Holmes called his favorite receiver in the draft.

“TeSlaa also had great predraft processes with the New Orleans Saints (No. 71) and the Buffalo Bills (No. 72), so it wasn’t lost on TeSlaa that Detroit traded directly in front of those two, plus Denver at No. 74, which went to receiver Pat Bryant,” Fowler said earlier this week.

TeSlaa, who wore a customized Lions jersey with his name on it to his pre-draft visit with the team, finally has a team-issued one to match. He currently wears No. 18.

“It’s a surreal thing, man. It feels amazing. Obviously, (Holmes) was talking about me coming.”

As it turns out, his new job has some pretty cool perks. While in the food hall Friday morning, he rubbed elbows with two-time All-Pro Amon Ra St. Brown, whom he looks forward to growing and learning from over the next few months.

“That’s someone I’m really gonna look up to. Obviously, I love the way he plays the game. I love his process,” TeSlaa said of St. Brown. “Everyone in the room, I just have so much to learn from and I’m just gonna be a sponge.”