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          Kobe Bryant offers tweet inspiration to injured Lions DE Kerry Hyder

          Lions defensive end kerry Hyder is taken off the field during Sunday's preseason game against the Colts. Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports
          • Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterAug 15, 2017, 02:50 PM
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              Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein.
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          Kerry Hyder may be out for a significant amount of time for the Detroit Lions, but he’s receiving support from at least one major star.

          After Hyder tweeted Monday about how he wanted to attack his rehabilitation from an Achilles injury like Kobe Bryant did when Bryant tore his Achilles in 2013, it’s not likely he expected a response. Yet Tuesday morning, Bryant responded on Twitter.

          Hyder, who suffered his injury Sunday in the preseason opener against the Colts, thanked Bryant for the support. While the Lions haven’t officially ruled Hyder out for the year, coach Jim Caldwell called Hyder’s injury "significant" on Sunday and didn’t back away from that Monday.

          Hyder also sent a lengthy Instagram post explaining how he’s going to come back stronger than ever. On Monday, Caldwell acknowledged Hyder is going through a difficult time.

          “There’s nobody excited about going through what he’s going through,” Caldwell said. “It’s a tough time.”

          Hyder had a breakout season for the Lions in 2016 after forcing his way onto the roster with a strong preseason. He had 36 tackles with a team-high eight sacks and was expected to be one of Detroit’s primary pass-rushers this fall.

          That the 26-year-old would use a basketball star as motivation is not surprising. Hyder was all-state in basketball in Texas and played AAU basketball for former Fab Five member Ray Jackson. He hypothesized last season that if he had been taller than 6-foot-2, college basketball might have been an option.

          Instead, Hyder played football at Texas Tech before going to the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He initially signed with the Jets, then the Lions in 2015. He spent almost all of 2015 on the practice squad before receiving a call-up for the final game of that season.

          The Lions asked him to slim down entering the 2016 season to go from tackle to end, which he did with a strict diet. That helped him play faster and impress the Lions coaches, but everything was derailed by Sunday’s Achilles injury.