Lions president Lewand explains battle with alcoholism in testimonial

Published Jan. 26, 2015 5:46 p.m. ET

foxsports

Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand recently gave a six-minute testimonial in which he explained his battle with alcoholism.

Lewand shared his story at the Kensington Church's Orion campus. He's close friends with the church's teaching pastor Dave Wilson, who is also Lions' team chaplain.

The video of Lewand's talk was posted on the church's website (beginning at the 38:43 mark).

Lewand, entering his seventh year at the Lions' president, introduced himself to the church members and told them, "I'm an alcoholic."

He talked about the night he hit bottom. That took place on June 25, 2010, when he was arrested for drunk driving in northern Michigan.

Lewand ended up wearing an orange jumpsuit and locked in a jail cell.

He called it "simultaneously one of the worst and one of the best nights of my life."

Lewand said friends and family had confronted him in the past about his drinking, but he was in denial at the time and always took the approach that, "I got this."

His attitude changed overnight.

"I finally gave up," Lewand said.

With that realization, "a burden was lifted from me."

"I knew I was going to have a lot of stuff to deal with when I got out of that jail cell, but I knew it was going to be all right," Lewand said.

Some 4 1/2 years later, Lewand describes himself as "incredibly blessed."

"I'd like to tell you everything's been sunshine and roses," he said. "It hasn't been."

He admitted he still has the familiar ups and downs of family life and the stresses of a high-profile job, not to mention "referees who pick up flags."

But instead of turning to alcohol, Lewand said he works on his "relationship with God" on a daily basis.