Despite Major Risks, Dan Campbell Explains Why Lions Have 'Live' Periods

Detroit Lions Dan Campbell explains practice decision he makes not many coaches follow.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell on the sidelines during their game against the Washington Commanders | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has bucked a certain trend that National Football League coaches believe is the best way to prepare a prepare a team during trending camp.

For the past couple of years, Equanimeous St. Brown has often wondered why the Lions have live practice periods, that involve tackling to the ground, during training camp.

On the latest "St. Brown Bros." podcast, the former NFL tight end made a guest appearance. St. Brown took the opportunity to ask Campbell what he believes as a coach that not many others would agree with.

Campbell acknowledged the difficulty of the question and St. Brown expressed he wanted to know more why the Lions went live, when he had never experienced that on other teams he has played for.

"It wouldn’t just be coaches, it would be GM's, it would be ownership. That would probably not be something they would do. I can tell you this: it’s not easy for me to do and to want to do," said Campbell, when discussing live practice periods. "But if I’m not going to play everybody in a preseason game that’s live, then I do think you need to get some of it before you put your dudes out there.

"But it’s hard And look, I understand too. For anybody that doesn’t, I get that. All good, man. It’s your team. Run it how you want, and I don’t have no ill will towards that. Man, (if) that’s the way you feel and then what you believe in."

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Detroit has been besieged by injuries the past couple of seasons, mostly on the defensive side of the football. This summer, the sixth-year head coach did scale back the intensity of practice slightly.

“You’re going to be put at risk one way or another. Either you’re over-trained or undertrained, or you’re too physical in training camp, you put guys too much at risk, or you’ve put them in bubble wrap," said Campbell. "And then the first game of a season comes, and the violence shows up and all of a sudden something breaks. Well, that’s not fair to guys either.”

Campbell has always believed that physicality during practice was the best way to prepare a team for what actually happens during regular season and playoff games.

“We always did our short-yardage goal line was live. And then we would periodically, we’d have a live team period. It would be 12 plays that were live. So, there were always sprinkles of it in there," said Campbell, when recalling what Sean Payton would decide during the summer. "And what’s interesting, I know for me, is it’s one thing for receivers, DB's, even O-line, D-line to an extent.

"But your runners and your linebackers, man, if you don’t go all the way, they don’t get the intensity they get in the game, unless they’re actually playing in preseason games and getting a number of reps.”