Rocket Mortgage restores the roar as Lions’ Hutchinson is fan favorite in 313 Celeb Scramble

DETROIT — The signature Rocket Mortgage red was brushed to the side in favor of a sea of Honolulu blue on June 25 at Detroit Golf Club.

Thanks to a lackluster showing from the Detroit Tigers so far and the Detroit Pistons finishing in the basement of the National Basketball Association, the Detroit Lions hype train continues to be the topic of conversation and was at the forefront of the annual Rocket Mortgage Classic AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble.

A three-hole contest consisting of holes 14 through 16, the celebrity scramble has become a premier Rocket Mortgage Classic festivity. 

This year, Detroit Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was the guest of honor in his celebrity scramble debut alongside National Football League Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp, World Wrestling Entertainment superstar The Miz, and NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber.

In a tournament where everywhere you look there’s red from the Rocket Mortgage Classic volunteers to the various Rocket Mortgage signs, it was all overshadowed by Lions fans with every intention of receiving an autograph on their jerseys, photos or Rocket Mortgage flags.

Hutchinson received the largest following of the scramble groups, which put on a steep amount of pressure for his first tee shot on 15, a par 3.

He’s played in NFL playoff and Michigan-Ohio State games, but it may have been too much for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, as he failed to make it over 100 yards on his first shot.

Hutchinson made it up to the Lions faithful by sinking a putt for his team on the 15th green, throwing emphatic fist pumps in celebration. Following the scramble, Hutchinson spent time making sure most fans received an autograph.

Johnson, an RMC celebrity scramble veteran and avid golfer, carried a strong showing for the NFL side, while it was Webber, teamed up with PGA Tour pro Matt Kuchar, golfer Christine Carroll and Jake Singer, who would bring home the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble belts.

Johnson received a ton of love from Lions fans in attendance, some too young to even remember him during his Lions tenure from 2007-2015, but knew they were in the presence of one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.

It’s been widely documented how Johnson and the Lions had a tense relationship following his retirement, but the relationship has only grown over the course of the past couple of years as Johnson has been at training camp, held his own youth camp at the Lions facility in Allen Park, and even took part in the Lions 2024-2025 jersey reveal at Ford Field.

“It was really cool to be a part of the jersey reveal,” Johnson said. “The black, finally they brought it back. I feel like it’s been about time. I think it was my rookie year the last time we wore it, so that was amazing to see.”

A part of two playoff teams during his career with the Lions, Johnson has been enjoying the successful run of Jared Goff and company over the past two years and what it has done for the city.

Johnson said it’s tough to wonder what his squad could’ve done if given the Lions’ current regime, but he gave props to his former coaches and staff.

“If we had a coach like (Dan Campbell), and I ain’t gonna say we didn’t have great coaches because we had great coaches back then, but I don’t know man,” Johnson said. “We had a tough team.”

The Miz brought back the flare and personality to the RMC celebrity scramble stage, hoping to rewrite last year’s subpar performance.

The Miz’s appearance in 2023 was courtesy of the WWE’s pay-per-view event, SummerSlam, coming to Ford Field later that summer, but he said he jumped at the opportunity to return to Detroit Golf Club again.

“I had so much fun last year playing with Keegan (Bradley) and talking to Max (Homa) and Collin (Morikawa), and I feel like Collin Morikawa ruined my swing,” The Miz said. “I asked him how he liked my swing, and he said I was all hands. I went back and started using way too much hips, and the wrong way of using hips, so it just messed me all up. I came back to redeem myself, if you will. I always come here with a ton of questions for the professionals, because I want to get better. We all want to get better. That’s why we love golf. It’s so difficult and so hard.”

The Miz is an Ohio native and Cleveland Browns superfan.

He said he hopes the Browns can follow a similar path to the Lions, but said it’s hard to ignore the energy the Lions have brought with their success.

“To be honest, I loved seeing what Detroit did with the Lions,” The Miz said. “It’s so much fun to watch this group of talent come in, and nobody expected them to do anything. All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Oh, they have Jared Goff. They’re not going to do anything.’ Now, people are chanting for Jared Goff and wanting Jared Goff, and the Detroit Lions are thriving with Jared Goff and Aidan Hutchinson. It’s really fun to watch.”