Loren Strickland Bio
Loren Strickland (born May 31, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and listed at 202 pounds, he plays in the defensive backfield and is listed as active on the Lions roster. He attended Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Illinois, played college football for the Indianapolis Greyhounds and Ball State Cardinals, and signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Strickland is known for a versatile athletic background that included three varsity sports in high school before he transitioned into a full-time defensive role at the college level. He earned academic honors along the way, graduating with a finance degree, and has carved out a professional path through the practice squad and onto the active roster.
Early Life and Background
Loren Strickland was born on May 31, 2000, in Carpentersville, Illinois. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended Jacobs High School in nearby Algonquin, where he quickly established himself as a multi-sport athlete. At Jacobs, Strickland earned 10 varsity letters across three sports: track and field, football, and wrestling, a rare combination that highlighted his speed, strength, and competitive toughness.
On the football field in high school, Strickland played multiple positions, including running back, linebacker, and safety. His production and versatility earned him first-team all-conference and all-area recognition. He graduated from Jacobs in 2018 and decided to continue his football career at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
After high school, Strickland committed to play for the NCAA Division II Indianapolis Greyhounds, the athletic program of the University of Indianapolis. He redshirted during his first year on campus in 2018, preserving a season of eligibility while adjusting to the speed and complexity of college football. The following season, he won a starting job and began to establish himself as a defensive playmaker in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
His early achievements at Indianapolis included a first-team All-GLVC selection in 2019, an honor he earned after starting the final 10 games of the season and finishing with 46 tackles and four pass breakups. He served as a team captain in 2021, led his team with 10 pass breakups that year, and earned his finance degree from UIndy in December 2021. After his time at Indianapolis, Strickland transferred to Ball State, where he continued to develop as a safety in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) before pursuing his professional opportunity with the Detroit Lions.
Loren Strickland Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Strickland’s college career began at the University of Indianapolis, where he redshirted in 2018 before breaking into the lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2019. He started the final 10 games of that season and posted 46 tackles with four pass breakups, earning first-team All-GLVC recognition. His combination of coverage skills and open-field tackling made him a reliable presence in the Greyhounds secondary.
He appeared in one game during the COVID-19-shortened 2020–21 campaign and then took on a leadership role as a team captain in 2021, finishing that year with 33 tackles and a team-leading 10 pass breakups. By the end of his tenure at UIndy, he had earned a finance degree, positioning himself for life beyond football while continuing to pursue a professional career on the gridiron.
Ball State Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Looking to test himself at the FBS level, Strickland transferred to Ball State, where he played for the Cardinals from 2022 through 2023. In his first season with the program, he appeared in 12 games as a backup and recorded 19 tackles, adjusting to the faster pace and more physical style of play at the higher division.
As a senior in 2023, Strickland appeared in all 12 games and made five starts. He finished the year with 31 tackles, including two tackles for loss, demonstrating improved run support while maintaining his role in pass coverage. His two seasons at Ball State helped him earn an invitation to professional scouting opportunities and prepared him for the jump to the NFL.
Detroit Lions Era (2024–Present)
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, Strickland signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. He made the team’s initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season, becoming the first alumnus of the University of Indianapolis to make an NFL roster in the modern era. He appeared in regular-season action, recording tackles as part of the Lions’ defensive rotation.
Strickland was waived on December 4, 2024, and re-signed to Detroit’s practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract on January 20, 2025. He was again waived on August 26, 2025 as part of final roster cuts, returned to the practice squad, and was later signed back to the active roster on October 1, 2025. After another brief practice squad stretch in mid-October, he signed another reserve/future contract with Detroit on January 5, 2026, continuing his tenure with the organization.
Notable Events and Milestones
Strickland’s most notable milestone came in 2024, when he became the first modern-era UIndy alumnus to earn a spot on an NFL 53-man roster, underscoring his trailblazing role for Division II players aiming at professional football. His repeated transitions between the active roster and practice squad with the Lions reflect both the competitiveness of the league and the organization’s continued interest in his development.
Loren Strickland Career Stats
Loren Strickland’s professional production is still in its early stages. Through his initial NFL action with the Detroit Lions, he had recorded 2 total tackles as of the 2025 season, the only confirmed regular-season counting statistic available. His college resume, including 129 total tackles across Indianapolis and Ball State and a first-team All-GLVC selection, provides additional context for his professional trajectory.
Loren Strickland Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Public information about Loren Strickland’s family background is limited, and detailed records about his parents, siblings, or other relatives are not widely available. He has kept his personal and family life largely private as he has focused on his football career. Details such as marital status, spouse, or children have not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of perseverance for Loren Strickland with the Detroit Lions. He began the year on a reserve/future contract before being waived during final roster cuts in late August, then re-signed to the practice squad as he worked to regain a spot on the active roster. His opportunity came on October 1, 2025, when the Lions signed him back to the 53-man roster.
That stint on the active roster was short, as he was waived on October 11 and returned to the practice squad five days later, continuing the season in a developmental role. Despite the movement between the active roster and the practice squad, Strickland remained in Detroit’s plans, signing another reserve/future contract on January 5, 2026, signaling that the Lions view him as part of their long-term defensive depth chart. As he looks to build on his 2025 experience and convert his practice-squad reps into a more permanent defensive role, Strickland enters the next phase of his career with momentum, a clear opportunity in Detroit, and the chance to add to his first confirmed NFL tackles.