Just about every NFL player has a nickname. They might be different ones in the locker room than they are to the general public, and we often never learn those in-house monikers.
Not so in Detroit.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell is refreshing in his willingness to share what he calls the players. He added a couple more to the nickname roster on Saturday in his pre-practice press conference.
Campbell shared that rookie defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor is “sawed-off”, a reference to his 6-foot-1, 295-pound fire hydrant frame. The head coach added that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn bestowed that nickname on Taylor, who has played quite well in camp.
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds got some bonus treatment from Campbell on the nickname front. In the span of 15 seconds, Campbell used the following names for Reynolds:
“Praying mantis”
“Spider of Death”
“Freaking serpent”
Campbell explained that the defensive coaches have their own nicknames and he piggy-backs off them, but Reynolds’ descriptions were all his own.
Most coaches don’t bring that level of candid, fun-loving intensity at 8 a.m.