In a very serious game like football, Dan Campbell continues to be a breath of fresh air. The earnest Lions coach has already built a reputation for wearing his heart on his sleeve. (For example, his affinity for kneecap-biting, or when he teased a reporter for letting his phone go off in a press conference.)
On Saturday, as the Lions prepared to give the hometown Ford Field crowd a little practice show during camp, Campbell’s energy for the game showed out again. Yes — he made another amazing predator analogy because lions and hyenas and you get it.
Campbell grabs the mic: “We’re starving. So the hyenas better get out of the way.” pic.twitter.com/NjqsqpbFlV
— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) August 6, 2022
Dan Campbell to the fans before the Lions’ open practice at Ford field: “We are fricking starving … so the hyenas better get out of the way.”
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 6, 2022
I have no way to verify this, but Campbell has to be the first NFL coach in recent memory to really lean into the use of his team’s nickname and mascot. Given how bad the Lions have been for years, someone like Campbell trying to make them a little more intimidating is a bit overdue.
If that means relating the football version of the Lions to their very, very distant cousin kings-of-the-jungle/apex predators, then so be it. Campbell knows what he’s doing. I, for one, hope we hear more about “hyenas” and “hunting prey” and “food chains” in relation to football in the near future.