Dan Campbell was so enamored with the Lions fans that he missed the play call for Penei Sewell's game-clinching catch against the Vikings. There is a 0:31 A familiar face was introduced to the Detroit sports community. He was very excited. Dan Campbell wore a dark suit to address reporters for the first time as the new head coach of the Detroit Lions. During an hourlong introductory news conference, the 6-foot-5 former Lions tight end assured everyone that he wanted the job while expressing his vision for the franchise in addition to showing his candor and humor. Explaining to Dan Campbell.
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The "kneecaps" speech was made in Detroit.
It was an instant classic among fans, and created a long lasting impression on him, even after a rough start to his Lions coaching tenure.
This team is going to be built on and we are going to kick you in the teeth. Campbell told reporters that they would smile at you when you punch them back. When we're knocked down, we're going to get up and bite a knee cap off. Alright?
Campbell's passion and personality were the focus of his initial impressions. There is more to know about him. He's the son of cattle ranchers who became one of the most competitive athletes his college coach at Texas A&M has ever seen, and an unlikely source of inspiration and mentorship to fellow coaches.
Ken Rodgers, the lead creative producer of "Hard Knocks," said that Campbell is twice as smart as anyone would give him credit for. The amount of brainpower that is put into his job is more impressive than anyone could have imagined.
When you are trying to change the culture of a losing organization, the role of a head coach becomes even more difficult. Detroit has not won more than six games in a year. The Lions have won five of their past six games and are in second place in the North. Campbell has been true to himself through the ups and downs.
What is Campbell's opinion of the world? These stories give us more information.
Texas or Texas A&M?
Campbell had two choices as he considered his college choice.
When Campbell invited Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum to his home for a recruiting visit, they first met up at Campbell's Glen Rose (Texas) High School.
Campbell said that he resided in the middle of nowhere. He had to follow me home because I could give him instructions but he had to turn down the dirt road.
Campbell's house is located on a cattle ranch which has a population of less than 500 people. He met Campbell's parents at that location.
A University of Texas recruit made a mistake a couple of weeks prior, which likely cost him a future football player.
My mother and father come out when we leave. The guy said he had never seen a black deer before, my dad is a cowboy and we raise cattle. Campbell said that his father didn't know it was a Spanish goat. That was a turn off. It's the big city and he's from Austin.
It wasn't the same confusion that sloth had.
When R.C. arrived two weeks later, he was like, "Woah, those are some pretty goats you've got down in the creek bed." "They're not ours, but my dad knows it's a goat." I think A&M fit me better.
"You could tell he was so wound up and just a great person. But you could tell he was wound up tight, very competitive, and I said that night, it was like love at first sight." former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum
Dan went on to become a four-year letterman for the Aggies from 1995 to '98, which helped him get selected as a third-round pick in the 1999 NFL draft by the New York Giants. Campbell said that he was one of his biggest influences.
He was a great person and you could tell he was wounded. It was like love at first sight when I saw him that night. I told him I wanted him on my team.
There's never been anyone more competitive than he was, he was a good athlete, but he was also big, strong and tough.
Campbell returned to College Station, Texas, in a trailer home in the spring of 2010 He retired from the NFL after a long career with the Giants, Cowboys, and Lions.
While he was a volunteer at Texas A&M, he had his wife, Holly, and two kids stay at home in Dallas to take advantage of the opportunity.
When Mike Sherman was the head coach at A&M, he was asked if it was possible for him to come down and watch practice. He was able to come down and watch practice and sit in our meetings at night to talk to the coaches because I said the coaching part is a challenge with the NCAA. He was very skilled at it.
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Campbell lived in the RV park for three weeks. Sherman didn't ask a lot of questions about his location, but word spread quickly about how he was living.
Campbell said it was nicer than he imagined. I had a little gas stove, a little shower, and a little bed, and I know what you're thinking, but I didn't have a big house. If I didn't have a family, I would be living in a RV. The price is cheap. It is easy to clean, you have everything you need.
His role at Texas A&M was limited to observing practices from the sideline, but he would work closely with the graduate assistant and future Cincinnati Bengal coach. Campbell helped Taylor become the tight ends coach at A&M.
He showed up the first day I was supposed to teach. The man who just retired after 10 years in the league walked into the door and spent the entire spring with me at A&M. He would come and teach me about tight end play, protections and running game.
"He has the look of physical dominance, but when you see him at work, you understand that the amount of brainpower that is put into his job is more impressive than anyone could imagine." lead creative producer of HBO's Hard Knocks Ken Rodgers
Campbell was an intern with the Miami Dolphins at the time. He became the interim head coach of the Miami Hurricanes in 2015. He joined the Miami staff in 2012 and was the quarterbacks coach in 2015. Sherman was Miami's offensive coach from 2012 to 2013).
Some of the things Campbell asked the Dolphins to do was unconventional. Taylor used some of the methods that he used with the Bengals, who made it to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
In the middle of practice, we did tug-of-war. Taylor said that they did all sorts of contests that were livened up and broke the norm. In Cincinnati, I've taken that because of what Dan did there, because it was a different event every day that was going to pop up in the middle of practice.
"Now, we don't do tug-of-war, we do more like one-on-ones with receiver,DBs, scout team guys, but really it was taken from Dan's type of philosophy of let's throw a wrench in the middle of practice and I want to do something where the attention is on two guys. For that reason, we do that here.
The coach of the New York Giants likes to tell the story of his first meeting with Campbell.
Campbell, who was an intern the year before, was looking to join the coaching staff after being approached by Tony Sparano.
"'Hey, I got this guy that I think would be a good one,'" Sparano told him, according to the man. We should interview him. The interview is taken care of by you.
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As they met, Campbell couldn't hide his enthusiasm as he excitedly demonstrated blocking drills with the chairs around the room.
He is slamming chairs on the ground, hitting walls, and doing drills. He is a great person and a great family. The interview was enjoyable. He was well-versed in a lot of things. You could tell he was very passionate. In half the interview he was doing, he was not breathing.
Campbell was hired to coach the tight ends.
He was there at 5:30 a.m. the next day to power clean and squat.
He loves to tell that story when he sees Campbell. Over the years, the story of the coach throwing a chair has been exaggerated, but he didn't deny that he demonstrated blocking with the chairs. He said he was out of breath after the interview.
Campbell said that they were running routes, blocking and everything else. After an hour of technique work, he would give me scenarios and how to handle them. How do you handle this coverage? This front, what if it is? I did the whole thing if you'd like.
As an African American, Sheppard was aware of his appearance. He realized there weren't many Black coaches with tattoos and dreadlocks in the league. He wanted to change his appearance to be accepted.
I reached out to Dan and he was like, 'You're thinking about cutting your stuff!' Do you think you are insane? Sheppard said he loved his hair first. If I hire you, if anyone hires you, they're hiring you because of you. You got those calls because you are who you are. That made me feel better.
Sheppard joined LSU's football program in 2020 and had a conversation with Campbell in 2020. Sheppard was hired by Campbell to coach the LBs. Sheppard wondered if his appearance would affect his career. Campbell told him he wasn't shortening his hair.
"...if we're gonna get hung up on the way somebody looks, we've got issues." Dan Campbell
It gave me a lot of confidence. One of the best coaches in the NFL told me, 'Are you crazy?' How are you doing right now? Sheppard made a statement. "You're being hired and being considered because you're you and that just resonated with me and I try to carry that down to my players as well because you deal with things in society, in and outside of a football facility where the facts are the facts"
You might as well say it since people can hide it.
Campbell's relationship with Sheppard goes back to when Campbell was a coach in Miami. When Sheppard left the Dolphins in free agency, they continued to be friends.
Campbell was one of the people Sheppard reached out to when he was considering the options after his playing career was done. His message is the same, look the way you want to look.
It was important for me to say that if you want to look that way, you should look that way. The way you coach is the way it is. Campbell lightly beat his hands on the table to emphasize the point. Your hair doesn't look like that. If we're going to get hung up on how someone looks, we have issues.
The running back is often happy. He brings good energy to practices and games.
The positive spirit wasn't on display during the Lions'OTA workout. He was unable to hide it.
I was trying to be here for the team and do everything, but at the same time I was hurting and I didn't know how to handle my mental state.
Williams was no longer able to ignore the deaths he was dealing with.
He was grieving the deaths of his father, father-in-law, and great-grandmother. He couldn't concentrate on football.
Campbell pulled him to the side so he could see what was happening. Williams was emotional. It was almost like he was fighting through something and you could see it. He broke down when I asked how he was doing. I knew this wasn't normal when I saw it. What can we do?
Williams was sent home for the day by Campbell.
"Because all of us need a little help," Campbell said, "and I think more than anything, that's what it was about, was I just wanted to be there or help him in any way that I could."
He doesn't take for granted the moment in the off season with Campbell.
He could have said, "Everyone's going through something, go back out there and practice and get through it," but instead he said, "We know you're hurting, we know what you can do." He gave me the time to get away from football so I could reflect and be prepared for the team.
I feel like my mental space is clearer now and I know that I can tell my head coach if I think something is wrong.
Campbell was fresh off a heartbreaking Week 5 loss at the Minnesota Vikings.
Greg Joseph kicked a field goal at the end of the game to give the Vikings a win. Detroit had lost two games in a row on game-winning kicks. Tucker kicked an NFL-record 66-yarder to beat the Lions, but it was ruined when he bounced off the bar before going in.
Campbell was supported by the league even through the difficulties. During his time as an assistant head coach and tight ends coach with the Saints, Drew Brees developed a close relationship with Campbell.
He talked about how great it was in a text to me. It was like, "My gosh, those guys are fighting, they're not giving up, they're fighting." He told them that they were close. He does not send me a text every week. It spoke volumes because I know if he's sending me something it's because it means something.
Fans of the 2008 Detroit squad that finished 0-16 were reminded of that when the team dropped to 0-5.
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I'm aware. Campbell said nothing he would say would make them feel better. I can't do anything but try to prove it and show it. Everybody is upset.
That day meant a lot to the players.
The Lions running back said that it showed that he cared. It means a lot to him and us as players. We need to find a way to get a win. We knew what kind of coach Campbell was when he arrived. He would like to win.
Tracy Walker said that he wears his emotions on his sleeves.
Campbell's public display of emotion was proof that he was serious about changing the culture in Detroit.
"They lost a game with no time left on the longest field goal in the history of the NFL that hit the bar and bounced over," said Sean Payton, who was the Saints coach. They have lost some games. When you're a first-time coach, it's difficult to implement a certain way of doing things because there's an initial buy-in.
At some point, it's important to withdraw. I'm sure he and the others are frustrated. There's never been a nicer person.
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