Dan Campbell: We're Fricking Starving, So Hyenas Get Out of the Way
Dan Campbell ushered in a new era of Detroit Lions football when he took the head coaching job prior to the 2021 season.
In his second season, he’s looking to build on the struggles of the franchise throughout its history. He knows the fan base is desperate for a winning team, and he wants to help bring them one.
For the team to be better than the 3-13-1 product it produced last season, it will need to see growth from many of its players. The Lions have a young roster, as the oldest player is 31-year-old Michael Brockers.
Heading into the team’s annual "Family Fest" open practice, there were four players Campbell mentioned in particular that he was keeping an eye on.
“I’m excited to see what (linebacker Derrick) Barnes does today,” the head coach said. “I want to see what (rookie safety) Kerby Joseph does today. You know, Iffy (Melifonwu), what does Iffy look like? I want to see if we can get a consistent, real good, hard working day out of Alim (McNeill). There’s a number of guys in here I’m looking for.”
Of those four players, three are heading into their second seasons as pros. Joseph, on the other hand, is a rookie fresh out of Illinois. Both he and Melifonwu are battling for playing time at safety.
McNeill is seen by some as a potential breakout candidate on Detroit’s defensive line. The big-bodied second-year man out of North Carolina State has been drawing rave reviews throughout the offseason.
Elsewhere, Joseph and the other Lions rookies are getting a taste of the team’s home stadium for the first time.
“This will be good for them, and that’s kind of part of this too, (because) when we’re getting ready for Atlanta they’re not out here looking around and they don’t know how to stretch or where to go,” Campbell noted. “That’s what all this is, to at least get them acclimated a little bit.”
Unscripted practice
Though most of Detroit’s training camp practice have been detailed with to the minute precision, Saturday’s event would have no script.
Campbell expressed his interest in how the coordinators would handle the game-like unpredictability of the practice.
“I think, really, what we’ll get out of this is now, particularly for our coordinators, is calling down and distance,” he said. “It’s more game-like for them and then the players, man, they’ve got to be able to react. This isn’t run, play, pass period, this is not third down period, this is all encompassing.”
The hyenas better get out of the way
Campbell has been clear about what he wants his team’s foundation to be -- grit.
After going viral earlier in the week for the speech he made to his team about that core value, the 46-year-old was at Ford Field wearing a hat with just one word emblazoned on it. Grit.
“It’s about grit,” Campbell reiterated. “Look, we got these (hats) in the spring, I got them for the coaches. It was just kind of part of who we are.”
The hats are the latest in a series of gear that Campbell has been showcasing throughout the offseason. He’s worn numerous shirts with Detroit’s area code, 313, and boasted a shirt Tuesday that said ‘Anti-Fragile.’
Campbell made waves for his message prior to last season’s Family Fest. He didn’t disappoint Saturday, either, as he was fired up prior to the start of practice.
The leader of the Lions has always made a point to include the fans and has made it clear that any success his teams have will be owed to them. On Saturday, he emphasized that point in front of a roaring crowd.
“What makes Detroit special is, it’s the fact that, man, you guys will roll your sleeves up and put in a hard day’s work,” Campbell told the fans. “And I think we want to model ourselves after that. I tell you what, you would give your coat in winter to someone who needed it. That’s what this community is about. However, nobody will take advantage of our hospitality, nobody.
“That’s what we’re about. This team is working their rear off to give you something to be proud of. They’re grinding it out right now. I know this, we are freaking starving. We are starving, so the hyenas better get out of the way.”
