Nobody would ever accuse Shawne Merriman of being soft. The longtime NFL linebacker was nicknamed “Lights Out” for his hard-hitting and merciless play for the Chargers. But Merriman really appreciated and respected Lions coach Dan Campbell for shedding tears after Detroit’s Week 5 loss to the Vikings on a last-second field goal.
In an interview with Gambling.com, Merriman showed a lot of respect for Campbell.
“I really like Detroit head coach Dan Campbell,” Merriman said. “People talk so much about the money being tossed around in this game, the spotlight and the glitz and glamour of it, but with him you have a coach that really cares about his team. If I’m in that locker room and I see my coach talking like that, I’m bringing everybody together, so we better get our s— together. The coach can’t care more about this game than the guys playing it, so just to see that, you say I can play for this guy, and I’m calling a team meeting immediately.”
Merriman echoes several other former players who lauded Campbell for showing genuine emotion in the face of a devastating loss.