Ever since Dan Campbell was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions, he has been created a persona that likable and makes it easy to root for him to be successful. He says the right things on how he wants to do things in Detroit, and the intensity that comes with it is genuine and makes him want to run through a wall for him.
Currently, he is on a media frenzy making appearances after appearances. One show he was on only earlier this week was Tiki and Tierney on CBS Sports Radio, and if you haven’t got a chance to listen to it, you are missing out on some gems.
Right off the bat, you knew it was going to be a good show when Tiki Barber was calling Dan Campbell and called it odd, weird, and doesn’t sound right. Tiki and Dan were teammates for four years during their time with New York Giants.
One of the questions that were asked for Dan Campbell was why he wanted Detroit because of the infamous history surrounding the franchise. When he was a free agent in 2006, Detroit was one of the teams that came calling. He was apprehensive because he heard the descriptions that came with the city and weren’t sure he was making the right choice.
When he arrived, it couldn’t have further from the truth. As soon as he arrived, he said, “The people and the community were unbelievable, and they love their sports.” He could tell ownership was investing in this team and said later, “There is something special about this place. I remember thinking. If we could ever win here, this would be remembered forever.”
A later question was asked on the steps needed to make Detroit a winner. He always sang the praises of Sheila Ford Hamp and how she is invested in this team and makes sure from top to bottom everyone has everything they need to be successful. He also says, “It’s all about the team. There are teams in this league that say all that, and they don’t live up to it on top.”
Campbell has reassured us that this is not going the same old Lions team we grown accustomed to on numerous occasions. There are deep cultural changes that are going on inside Allen Park at the moment, and it has come at the right time for when the city needs it the most.
He continued with the steps to building the franchise, and he said, “To build and sustain a winner, you have to do it through the draft. You have to!” He spoke about how franchises want to win right now, but they don’t have the vision and patience to see through a transition that might 2-3 years before it finally comes true.
He continued to preach on the success of the draft and how you build a winning franchise is to grow, develop, resign, and draft again. As soon as Brad Holmes was hired, you can tell this team will be built through the draft instead of through free agency, and the narrative has continued.
This is absolutely the best way to build this a winning franchise, and that is where the last regime failed. They were unable to develop the talent from their drafted players and, in turn, had to make moves in free agency that might have seemed questionable and left the mess for this regime.
It also seems like this regime is going to play the compensatory pick game. The way Dan Campbell spoke on stockpiling draft picks thus allowing Brad Holmes do what he does best. It sure sounds like they will take all the draft picks they can get their hands on.
Campbell also went to talk about his staff and how he was able to hire everyone he wanted to and, in turn, creating a legion of former players that swarmed to be with Campbell. The way the coaches flocked to Detroit speaks to the testament on how well-liked he is and the plan to make this franchise better.
When he talked about the organization’s development, he wasn’t just referring to the players but also the staff. The Lions organization wants to develop coaches that will allow them to be successful in the league. In particular, Campbell spoke about one coach, assistant head coach/running backs coach, Deuce Staley.
Campbell said, “Staley will be a head coach, and I will do everything to help him get his shot.” He is currently giving Staely some of a head coach’s daily responsibilities, grooming him and getting him ready for bigger things.
The culture shift in Detroit is something other organizations need to be looking at. It is quite impressive how the demeanor of many analysts, reporters, and fans changed when the regime took hold. Some people may say this is all talk and no play. If you have listened to Campbell talk, you know this isn’t just talking. He is ready to make big changes and bring the city of Detroit back into its winning ways.
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