(Ben Liebenberg / NFL.com)

While all the coaches speaking today have a multitude of media furiously jotting down and recording every word they utter, few will receive quite as much attention as new Lions head coach Jim Schwartz.

In his first season as an NFL head coach, Schwartz has been immediately thrust into the spotlight.

A mad rush of reporters went to ask him questions at his press conference — far more than that of any other coach so far — and a throng of journalists followed him from the room to keep peppering him with queries for another 20 to 30 minutes.

That’s what happens when you own the top overall pick in the draft.

What Schwartz and the Lions do with that pick will be speculated on until the draft and dissected for years to come, but the coach seems to know that comes with the territory. He compared having the top pick to playing high-stakes blackjack in Las Vegas, noting if you lose, “you may have to walk home instead of being able to fly back.”

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