Former Holy Cross star Kalif Raymond honored by second-team All-Pro nod with Detroit Lions

Earlier this month, Kalif Raymond was on a night flight back to Detroit from New York, where he and his fiancée, Julia Baker, had visited her mother, and Raymond dozed off for the two-hour trip with his phone set on “Do Not Disturb” mode.

When he woke up and checked his text messages, he found 60 of them. They were from family and friends congratulating him on his second-team All-Pro accolades, which The Associated Press announced earlier in the evening.

Raymond, the former Holy Cross star who recently completed his second season with the Detroit Lions, earned the honor after excelling as a punt returner, which was one of the roles he filled at HC, and helping the franchise to its first winning season since 2017.

Raymond’s 13.2-yard average ranked second in the NFL, and in Week 15 against the New York Jets, he had his first career punt return touchdown.

The Lions’ wide receiver Kalif Raymond crosses into the end zone after returning a punt for a touchdown against the Jets in December.

“It means a lot,” Raymond said of the All-Pro recognition during a phone interview from Detroit earlier this week. “It’s a lot to take in. I’m always trying to keep myself level headed. Early in my career, I had a lot to be humble for. It’s a lot to take in, the blessings I’ve been receiving. It’s surreal to think about.”

The 28-year-old Raymond graduated from Holy Cross in 2016, where he starred as a receiver and return specialist. He ranks fifth all time at HC in all-purpose yards and second in kick return yards.

Raymond originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos. Detroit is his fifth NFL team in seven years. He had short stints with the Broncos, Jets and New York Giants, and spent the 2018 season on and off the Tennessee Titans’ and Giants’ practice squads. After playing in 23 games for the Titans from 2019-20 and scoring his first career touchdown, Raymond signed with the Lions as a free agent in March 2021.

“The undrafted lifestyle comes with a lot of ups and downs,” the 5-foot-8, 180-pound speedster said, “and a lot of learning. I think 90% of the game is mental and 10% is physical because everyone in the NFL is so big, fast and strong, but I think it’s about who can kind of get mentally back to a strong, concrete foundation, and that’s the biggest thing for me.”

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The Lions’ Kalif Raymond leaves would-be tacklers behind against the Bills in November.

Raymond practices meditation daily.

“It keeps my mind in a positive place,” he said, “not too high and not too low. It’s figuring out how to combat the mental side of the game, that and perseverance. If you can persevere from the highs and lows and keep yourself level and keep the grind going, your time will come. It has to be the right situation, the right team, the right opportunity. If you persevere long enough, your time will come. I’ve tried to stay mentally focused and trying to persevere through as much as I can.”

In addition to his success returning punts this season, Raymond set a career high for receiving yards with 616. His 981 all-purpose yards and 264 punt return yards were also career bests, and the Lions just missed out on the playoffs.

“It was a good experience being with that group of guys,” Raymond said. “The team camaraderie, the character we had, it was just a joy to go to work every day and be around those guys. I was very excited and thankful to be part of that season. We wanted to go to the playoffs, but the way we battled throughout that season was just a testament to the character of the team.”

The Lions signed Raymond to a two-year, $9.5 million contract extension last March.

In his first season in Detroit, in 2021, Raymond ranked fourth in the NFL with an 11.2-yard punt return average, and ranked second among Lions receivers in targets, receptions, yards and TDs.

In Detroit’s 20-17 win over the Jets on Dec. 18, Raymond scored on a 47-yard punt return. He had two kickoff return TDs at Holy Cross.

“I didn’t have to break six tackles or do a bunch of backflips to get to the end zone,” Raymond said with a laugh. “I didn’t have to do much at all; it was so well blocked. I was so grateful for the fact that it was happening, our guys doing their jobs, doing more than their jobs. It was so much more than anything I did myself.”

Against the Jets, Raymond had five receptions for 53 yards. Lions coach Dan Campbell presented Raymond with the game ball.

“He just does everything for us,” Campbell said after the game, “and he doesn’t bat an eye. He doesn’t whine, he doesn’t complain, it’s never too hard, there’s never a job that’s too much. He just goes. ‘What do you need me to do, and I’ll go.’ You can’t have enough of those guys.”

Raymond played the second half of Detroit’s Week 18 win over the Packers with broken ribs.

Raymond was the only Lions representative on the All-Pro teams.

Raymond and Baker, who graduated from Holy Cross in 2017, will be married in July.

Raymond, who played for coach Tom Gilmore at HC, has developed a great relationship with current coach Bob Chesney, and he stopped by Holy Cross last March for pro day. He hopes to get to a spring practice this year, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the Crusaders’ historic 2022 season and run in the FCS playoffs.

“I’m super proud of those guys,” Raymond said. “It’s cool to see those guys working, and I’m so proud of what Coach Chesney is doing.”

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former Holy Cross star Kalif Raymond of Detroit Lions relishes All-Pro honor