Dan Campbell Reveals What He Told Sheila Hamp about 2022 Lions

Read more on what Dan Campbell revealed to Sheila Hamp about the 2022 Detroit Lions.

Going into the 2022 regular season, Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions have definitely gained some additional attention across the league, as a result of their appearance on the HBO series, "Hard Knocks". 

The star status of Campbell, a walking soundbite, has grown, and he has increasingly become a media darling. 

The same can be said for Lions players like Aidan Hutchinson and Jamaal Williams.

It's led to an increased amount of buzz surrounding the team, as well as a heightened degree of energy among the Detroit fanbase that hasn't been seen in quite some time.

In fact, the Lions' opener with the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday will mark the first time since 2017 that standing room-only tickets are available for a non-Thanksgiving game for the organization.

It appears to be a direct result of Detroit appearing on Hard Knocks this summer and the show subsequently building anticipation for the 2022 version of the team.

Despite the increased focus on Campbell's squad from the fans and media alike and the added pressure that comes with it, the second-year Lions head man doesn't view any of it as having an impact on the team's internal expectations.

"Look, the ‘Hard Knocks’ deal, it doesn’t change any of our expectations in this building about who we are, where we’re at, where we need to go. That’s not for us to decide," Campbell expressed to reporters Wednesday. "All we’ve got to do is worry about what we worry about every day, man. One day at a time. One rep at a time. One team at a time, and that’s all we’ve got to focus on. And, I can’t control the outside – that’s already been done. And, there’s nothing I can do about that. So, I’ve got to focus on getting these guys ready to play and find a way to win a game.”

Detroit was not consistently competitive a year ago, and was far from a playoff team, finishing with just three wins (3-13-1).

So, despite the team being improved and expectations being higher in Campbell's second season on the job than his first, the reality is that it's hard to determine what all of that equates to. It's a message that Campbell recently conveyed to Lions principal owner Sheila Hamp.  

"Well, it’s like I told Sheila. I told her the other day, just like I have (with others). I said, ‘You know what, here’s where we’re at. We’re better. We’re better than we were this time last year, and that’s where it is.’ Now, what does that mean? It means we’re better than we were this time last year. I don’t know what that equates into, I just know we’re better," Campbell said. "So, look, ‘Hard Knocks’ can make anyone look good. So, I mean, that’s what TV does. They can make anything look good. They’re going to pull the best of the best, and so that’s not reality. Reality is what we’re getting ready to do, and what we’ve been doing every day in practice and all the reps we’ve banked, and these guys playing together, communicating. And, that’s reality. That’s all we can worry about, is how we see it in this building and go to work.”