A Michigan native and two-time Division II All-American cornerback who is finally playing in his home state.
Nick Whiteside grew up in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and starred at Division II Saginaw Valley State before signing with Washington as an undrafted free agent. After a detour through the UFL, he landed with the Lions in 2025, giving the hometown product a shot to play defensive back in front of family and friends.
Path to the league
Whiteside played for Saginaw Valley State from 2018 to 2022, then signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and made his NFL debut that December against San Francisco. After his time with Washington ended, he played for the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks before signing with Detroit in July 2025.
Career highlights
At Saginaw Valley State, Whiteside was a two-time Division II All-American, earning second-team recognition in 2021 along with GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year honors, then repeating as an All-American in 2022 while recovering from an Achilles injury. He finished his college career with 12 interceptions and 26 pass breakups across 43 games.
2025 season recap
Whiteside signed with Detroit in July 2025 and cycled through multiple roster moves before appearing in nine games, recording five combined tackles and three pass deflections. The Lions extended his contract in January 2026 as he continues to compete for a role in the secondary.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nick Whiteside
- Detroit News: Detroit Lions add Michigan native, former Saginaw Valley State standout
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
9 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Saginaw Valley State
- Hometown
- -
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
