MINNEAPOLIS — Water squirted in the air, and general manager Brad Holmes swallowed players in bear hugs, and Aidan Hutchinson broke out some funky dance moves, and black T-shirts were handed out that proclaimed something magical.

Something unbelievably cool. Something that had been missing for decades.

As those T-shirts said: The Lions 2023 NFC North Champions: “It’s a lock.”

As the Detroit Lions celebrated their first division title in 30 years after a 30-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon — let that sink in — Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow looked at each other and started to cry.

“It's just like, emotions overcoming you,” Ragnow said. “Because you don't realize how much it means to you until it happens.”

Coach Dan Campbell called some of the veterans to the front of the locker room, the guys who have been on the team the longest, who have been in the struggle the longest. More than anybody, those veterans understand what this means, the magnitude of this moment, not just to this organization but to the long-suffering fans.

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“It's honestly remember the times where — I've said this before in the past — where we were the joke and you know people didn't respect us,” Decker said.

But the jokes have dried up.

The respect has been earned.

T-shirts handed out. Tears flowing.

“To be here from kind of digging ourselves out of that hole to a team that's being able to play meaningful games this late in the year, you can't say enough about it,” Decker said. “And I can't say enough about my appreciation for my teammates and the coaching staff. Just their unwavering belief that we're going to get this thing right and get it done. It's just special. We got a special group of guys, we got a special staff everybody in the building.”

Special, indeed — this game summed up what this team has become.

It was a game that required toughness and resolve after the Vikings took a third-quarter lead … these Lions didn’t fold like in the past.

It was a game that required poise and grit — yes, the Lions made some mistakes. They blew some opportunities — dropping an interception, not falling on a fumble, missing an extra point, on and on — but that’s football. This team didn’t blink.

No, it found a way to win, playing pure complementary football, and Ifeatu Melifonwu came up with the biggest play of his life, making an interception to secure the win.

“That was my first career interception,” he said.

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When he was asked about the history side of this moment, he was honest. “I can’t even imagine it, I’m only 24,” he gushed. “That was before I was born, but I know it means a lot, I’m happy for us and the city.”

More than anything, this game and this title shows far this roganization has come.

From historical losers to respected winners.

A transformation that is unmistakable.

It felt like this entire team — no, this entire organization and fanbase — climbed out of a deep, dark hole of embarrassment and found the sunshine.

“It means a lot,” Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “To be here from my rookie year to start 3-13-1 and be here now I’m speechless, excited, and proud of the guys. I know the city’s proud, we did it for them. The fans deserve it, they have stuck with us the whole time.”

Credit starts with ownership

Sheila Hamp, the owner who has overseen this transformation, came out of the locker room and it looked like she was floating in the air, holding a championship T-shirt, a smile stretching from ear to ear.

Give her all kinds of credit for having the guts to make all the changes that lead to this moment, for hiring Chris Spielman and Holmes and bringing in Campbell, and then letting them do their thing.

“What is that scene in that locker room mean to you?” she was asked.

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“It means everything," she said. "It's amazing. ... It was awesome, just awesome.”

She kept walking and I followed her.

“After all the decisions you made everything from Holmes to Campbell, what does this feel like?” I asked her.

“It feels awesome,” she said. “They're great. We have wonderful people, and you always have to have faith in them.”

Stop and ponder that statement for a moment.

Yes, this title is about faith.

It’s about her faith in Holmes and Campbell.

It’s about their faith in Jared Goff, who at one point was perceived as a toss-in during the Matthew Stafford trade, but he just lead this organization to a title.

It’s all of their faith in this offensive line, building from the inside out, building this team on offense first, knowing you have to outscore people to win in today’s NFL.

It’s faith in that defense — and yes, it made a play when it absolutely needed it.

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It’s faith in selecting players in the draft with injuries, players who are now healthy and contributing.

And it’s faith in a culture, building something that starts on the inside of every player.

“What about the fans?” I asked Hamp.

“Oh my God, the fans have been incredible,” she said. “We had fans sitting all around us today and they were going nuts and I can even hear it go: 'Let's go, Lions!'

"In the midst of all that horn.”

Now, those fans will be rewarded with a home playoff game in Ford Field.

Making history

When the media was allowed to enter, the players were still hugging. Still posing for pictures.

The music was blaring and it was a tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment and history.

Yes, history, even if some of the youngsters have no idea what they just accomplished.

“I can’t understand their experience,” Sam LaPorta said of the veterans who have suffered along with the fans. “I mean, I’ve only played — what is this? — Week 16? So 15 games in the NFL. Guys on this team have played a hundred-plus games. They deserve it the most, and I am just so happy for them."

You wanna know the coolest part of this?

It was a team accomplishment, and that’s exactly how these players reacted.

As a team.

Happy for each other.

“Obviously, you feel pride in yourself,” Goff said. “But overwhelmingly proud of being a part of this group and being a part of a group that's gotten Taylor and Frank and Graham (Glasgow) to this to this point and being able to do that together. It's really special. And I know those guys have grinded through some dark times. And we've been a part of some of them together and to be able to stand here as division champs It's awesome.”

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Something special has been brewing since the middle of last season.

And now, it’s here.

Get ready for the playoffs.

Knowing this team, knowing these players, understanding how they think, these guys won’t be satisfied.

But this was so big, for this team and this city, let’s not worry about the next two games, or even the playoffs, and just savor it for a second.

“What does this mean to people back in Detroit?” a reporter asked.

“Merry Christmas, baby!” Hutchinson said, breaking into a smile.

Well said.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Faith in Detroit Lions — by everyone — rewarded with division title