Two Unity Christian Graduates, Isaac TeSlaa and Hayden Large, Land on NFL Rosters
Two former Unity Christian High School football players are now on NFL rosters after helping the Crusaders win the school's first state championship. Isaac TeSlaa plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions and Hayden Large is a tight end for the Chicago Bears.
GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — When Unity Christian High School captured its first ever state football championship, two players who would go on to make the NFL were on that roster: Isaac TeSlaa and Hayden Large.
TeSlaa, who played quarterback for the Crusaders in high school, is now entering his second season as a wide receiver with the Detroit Lions. He was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft and made a name for himself as a rookie with a string of acrobatic, one-handed catches.
Large, who played tight end in high school, signed with the Chicago Bears this past offseason as an undrafted free agent. He will play tight end for the Bears, the same position he held in the Crusaders' backfield.
Unity Christian head football coach Craig Tibbe says the two players took a deliberate path to the pros, choosing smaller schools before transferring to more prominent programs.
"For TeSlaa, three successful receiving seasons at Hillsdale College turned into two more with the Arkansas Razorbacks," Tibbe said. "As for Large, three years at Dordt University in Iowa led to three more with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he played both tight end and fullback."
Tibbe credits patience and steady progress for the players' success.
"Step after step, it fell into place for both of them," Tibbe said. "If you're one of the best, they'll find you. You'll always rise to the top."
When TeSlaa first took the field for the Lions, Tibbe said he found himself watching the game differently, rooting for his former player to get opportunities.
"Like, dude, he's in. He's in! Let's go!" Tibbe recalled, describing the moment.
Now, with Large on a division rival, Tibbe has to split his loyalties.
"I told Hayden, I said, 'Come on, the Bears? I will try really hard to like the Bears, but I'm a Lions fan,'" Tibbe said, laughing. "But we've got to be Bears fans, too."
The two former teammates could share a field again this Thanksgiving. The Lions and Bears will play each other for the first time this season at Ford Field, a holiday fixture that has become a tradition. Large is currently recovering from a core injury, so a start is uncertain, but the prospect of a reunion on one of football's biggest stages has locals excited.
"It'll be fun," Tibbe said. "I hope we get to see that."
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