ALLEN PARK -- If Lions linebacker Zack Follett was forced to take two years off football he would be dangerous. Just ask him.

“That would be tough. My body would love it. I’d probably get arrested because football is my only time I get to go out there and hit people as hard as I can and I need that once a year,’’ Follett said on Thursday.

What would happen?

“Just getting a little angry road rage, traffic. That’s why we need football, we can’t have the strike we’ll be in trouble,’’ Follett added.

Follett’s teammate Caleb Campbell was forced to sit out two years from football after graduating from West Point due to Army regulations.

Follett played mostly special teams last year in his rookie season, but now he’s got a crack at starting at linebacker. It’s hard work, but he seems up for the challenge.

“I think it’s knowing the defense. Last year I didn’t have a good grasp of it. So I think something I‘ve worked on quite a bit is getting in the playbook, knowing my plays and then just being a smart football player,’’ Follett said.

“It’s one thing Gunther (Cunningham, the defensive coordinator) likes. It’s OK if you make your mistake once, but are you going to make it the next time, and after that mistake are you going to get back and make a play,’’ Follett added.

(Follow me on Twitter.com @PaulaPasche.)