Drew Brees Texted Dan Campbell: 'You Guys Are Close'

NBC NFL analyst Drew Brees expressed prior to Dan Campbell taking the Detroit Lions head coaching position that the ex-Saints assistant coach had the leadership skills to effectively relate to players.

“He knows when to kind of loosen up and have fun,” Brees told ESPN. “He’s a guy who played a long time, so he’s got a level of respect coming from guys for how he played -- he’s a tough, physical guy. He just really cares about his players. You can see that in the way he talks to us, talks to his position group. He’s just got a lot of great leadership qualities in that way. And, I think he’s just a good person. He’s a person that you want to follow, and a person you believe in, and you know, he’s gonna be honest with you.”

On Sunday Night Football, during an extended halftime show that occurred due to inclement weather, Brees revealed he texted Campbell following the Lions' loss to the Vikings to let him know he observed the team was fighting hard on the road and to provide words of encouragement.

"I got a lot of respect for Drew," Campbell said Wednesday. "I probably wouldn't be standing up here, had it not been for Drew Brees as the quarterback where I came from. That's the reality of it."

"Shoot, he shot a text to me just talking about how impressive it was. It was like, 'My god, man. Those guys are fighting. Those guys are not giving up. They're fighting. You guys are close.'"

Campbell expressed that he remains close with the retired quarterback and that he does not often receive text messages like that from the NBC analyst, which prompted a quick response back.

"I know if he is sending me something, it's because it means something. That's why it kind of spoke volumes," Campbell explained near the end of his Wednesday media session.