Detroit Lions new coach Dan Campbell, at a passionate, emotional, intense and sometimes fun hour-long press conference, wove his way talking about cutting knee pads to welcome tourists, referring to “The Great Lebowski” while performing to your new city and team.
If there were any doubts about the kind of passion that Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood were looking for in their next trainer, that was evident from the moment Campbell went to the microphone until the moment that left you.
Campbell made a 19-minute opening statement, provided direct answers on a plethora of topics and expressed exactly what kind of team he wanted – one that mirrored the city he played for.
“This place was kicked. It was beaten. It was hurt. And I could sit here and talk to you all day,” said Campbell on Thursday. “I can tell you, ‘Hey, we’re going to win this weekend.’ None of that matters, and you don’t want to hear it anyway. Have you heard enough of this —, sorry for my language.
“What I do know is this. This team will assume the identity of this city and this city has been in a low state and has managed to climb. You found a way to overcome adversity, right? So this team is going to be built, let’s kick your teeth, right? And when you punch us back, we’ll smile for you. And when you bring us down, we’re going to get up and up, we’re going to tear off a kneecap. All right? And we are going to get up and it will take two more shots to bring us down. And on the way up, we will take your other patella and we will get up and it will take three shots to knock us down. And when we do, we will take another piece from you.
“In a short time, we will be the last to survive. That will be the mentality.”
Campbell’s message about the passion he wants his team to play and coach him was clear. He admitted that part of what he was selling on Thursday was proposed for potential free agents to come to Detroit.
It was also the first time that one of Campbell’s new players heard him speak, so he wanted the message to reach them.
Campbell also showed his humor, beginning his introduction playfully that ended in Detroit, telling his agent, Rick Smith, to ensure that Lions believed they were meeting with Iowa State coach and future NFL coach Matt Campbell.
And Campbell recognized his resemblance to the character The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges in “The Big Lebowski”, saying he has heard the comparison before, but “the hair is not as it used to be.”
The Lions evidently embraced the reference to “The Big Lebowski”, identifying Campbell as “Head Coach / The Guy” on the nameplate hanging outside his office.
The new nameplate that hangs outside the new office for the new Lions HC Dan Campbell – The Dude. 📸 @Lions. pic.twitter.com/y6xKVy58FB
– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 21, 2021
Campbell said after the news conference that he would change his suit to equipment provided by the team and start work, which he did shortly thereafter. A source said Adam Schefter of ESPN that Campbell and the Lions hired New Orleans Saints assistant Aaron Glenn as Detroit’s new defensive coordinator.
Campbell mentioned Glenn during printing as a candidate he hoped would join him in Detroit.
“It’s no secret that I talked to Aaron Glenn about the defensive coordinator,” said Campbell. “I was with him [in New Orleans]. He’s someone I’m certainly interested in. But I’m working on it. “
It is this combination of things that sold Ford Hamp and Wood. In the survey, Wood said that Lions sought four main criteria: “A leader of men, someone who could command the room and the attention of the entire team; the temperament to deal with the routine of an NFL season, deal with defeats , injuries and external distractions; a positive voice for the entire organization with the media, the league, colleges, employees and our fans and the ability to assemble an excellent team. “
“We’re going to kick your teeth, right? And when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us over, we’re going to go up and up, we’re going to pull out a kneecap with a bite. shots to get us down. And on the way up, we’re going to get your other kneecap and we’re going to get up and it’s going to take three shots to get us down. And when we do, we’re going to take another piece of you. get up. ”
Lions coach Dan Campbell
Ford Hamp said Campbell sent a book with his coaching philosophy before the first interview and “I literally read his statement on culture and leadership and it was like he read our minds”.
“We need to bring some hope back to this city, man,” said Campbell. “I am willing to do whatever it is. Look, I think, I am a person who overcomes everything and many of you will think that I am a little crazy here, but I believe that you can happen things in some aspect
“If you are a really positive thinker, I think that positive things can happen to you and those around you to grow from that and they feel your energy.”
The ex-tight end of the NFL understands what he’s up to with the Lions. He played three seasons in Detroit, including part of the 2008 team that was 0-16 – although he admitted on Thursday that he was injured most of the year and spent time rehabilitating in Texas, so he wasn’t around. day to day .
But Campbell, 44, was once a player, an assistant and an interim coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2015.
Campbell also spent the last half decade learning from Sean Payton with the Saints, a man and an organization that he always believed in during his introduction and that he was thrilled to talk about. Therefore, he has control over what he believes and how he believes.
“I think the football team can unleash something big here. But, listen, this is what I believe, man,” said Campbell. “Look, I don’t want to sell you something you’ve sold so many times – believe me, I understand. And I don’t want any of you to just jump on board now and be like, ‘I’m convinced, I got 100 percent.’
“I didn’t expect you to do it. But I will do everything in my power to win you over and make our team win you over. At the end of the day, I know that wins and losses are the only thing that matters. But when I say I want to for our team to assume the identity of this city, I’m serious. “