It has already been written that Kalif Raymond's path to the Detroit Lions was full of struggles and conflicts. He spent his first two years with three different teams, and after being cut by the third team (the New York Giants), he thought his career was over after just two seasons. After muted blows and minimal impact, no one would have been surprised if his career, like so many others, had ended before he had a chance to truly develop.

“In 2016, oh my God, I struggled,” Raymond said Sunday night after his record-breaking performance against the Tennessee Titans. “I had a lot of fear, a lot of doubts. I remember walking off the field, I want to say I was playing for the Giants, I was like, 'I just played my last NFL game.'”

But instead of letting that moment define his career, he allowed the fights to fuel his fire.

“This offseason I had a choice: I thought, 'I could either go into the tank and kind of quit, or I could give it everything I've got,'” Raymond said.

He chose the latter and, with the help of his extremely supportive family, landed with the Titans in 2018. He stayed there for the next three seasons. Although he didn't play in 2018, he made 23 appearances at Tennessee over the next two seasons, helping them reach the 2019 AFC Championship.

Entering free agency in 2021, the Lions desperately needed a receiver, and when general manager Brad Holmes showed coach Dan Campbell the tape of Raymond, they immediately saw the potential.

“Brad came into my office in 2021, we were fresh into the field at the beginning of the spring and he said, 'Hey, take a look at this guy from Tennessee.' He's really a returning character, a gadget of sorts. Do you think there's a place for him on offense?'” Campbell recalled. “And I looked at about ten plays and thought, ‘Yeah. There definitely is, you know. “Take this guy right now,” and bringing Leaf (Raymond) here has been a blessing ever since.”

The Lions signed him to a one-year contract. Then they signed him to a two-year contract. And right before he started his second year, they gave him another two years. It's been six years since he thought his NFL career was over, and he's doing better than ever.

He's been part of the Lions' rebuild from the start, and while he's not a top weekly contributor, he's earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working players on the team.

“Guys love him — coaches, players,” Campbell said. “Man, you talk about reliable, and he's consistent, and the way he prepares, the way he works, and he does everything for us, man.”

And against the Titans – his former team, which named him “visit captain” this week – Raymond had his best game of his career. He was the first Lions player ever to score a punt return touchdown And a receiving touchdown in the same game. And his 38.0 punt return average against Tennessee is the highest since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 (minimum five attempts). It will undoubtedly earn him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors – it would be the second time he has been named to the honor since becoming a Lion.

Last week against the Vikings, the Lions got Raymond more involved in the offense, recording three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown. This was a fun game for the 30-year-old receiver. But this one probably topped it.

“The last two games we played, I told some of the guys that Minnesota is one of the top five (funnest) games of all time, and then this game follows – just playing a team game like that is so much fun said Raymond. “Special teams, surprises in defense, offensive penetration – it’s just fun to be part of a football team like that.”