Dan Campbell was appointed as the head coach of the Detroit Lions on January 20, 2021. During his first press conference he said “This team is going to take on the identity of this city, and this city’s been down and it’s found a way to get up. This team’s going to be built on, we’re going to kick you in the teeth. We’re gonna get knocked down and on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off. Before long we’re going to be the last one standing. Any loss that we take, we’re going to feel the full pain from it and not be numb to it.“ This speech sparked a fire not on just the team but the city. This is what started the comeback of the Lions we know and love today.
In his first season as a head coach for the Lions the team finished with 3 wins, 13 losses and 1 tie. This was just the start of the rebuilding stage finishing at the bottom of the NFC North Division. With this record it gives the team a couple very high picks in the 2022 draft. With the 2nd pick in the draft the Lions selected Aiden Hutchinson from Michigan. With the 12th pick they selected Jameson Williams from Alabama. With the 46 pick they selected Josh Paschal from Kentucky. With the 97th pick they selected Kerbey Joseph from Illinois. All four of these players have ended up starting for the Lions on today’s team.
In his first season with the Lions he would have the best year of his NFL career, bringing in 21 receptions for 308 yards and 4 touchdowns. For the next 2 seasons with the Lions he dealt with a lot of injuries, which led him to only playing in 3 games. The following year he got traded to the New Orleans Saints, where injuries were still a problem and concluded his NFL career. Dan Campbell ended up having a 10 year career in the NFL as a player from 1999 to 2009.
Dan Campbell was born on April 13, 1976 in Clifton, Texas to his parents Larry and Betty Campbell. Growing up he was always surrounded by football which led him to start playing. He started his career playing at Glen Rose High School in Somervell County. During this time he played as a tailback and tight end. He was very good and was able to make his dreams come true by earning a full scholarship to Texas A&M University. At Texas A&M he wasn’t known for having an impact career as a pass catcher, only being able to bring in 314 yards with only 3 touchdowns on 27 receptions in his 3 years at Texas A&M. He shared these duties with tight end Derrick Spiller who was able to bring in 436 yards in 1997 and 269 yards in 1998. During this time a tight end was used in a different way than they use them today. His big factor in college was his ability to block at an excellent level. This is what got him selected in the 1999 NFL draft. He was selected as the 79th pick in the 3rd round of the draft by the New York Giants.
In his first season, he would only see one start on the field. Which led him to having no stats in his first season. He then spent the next 3 years with the Giants where he was able to reel in 43 receptions for 369 yards and 5 touchdowns. After 4 years, he got traded to the Dallas Cowboys during that offseason. He continued his success throughout the next season, starting in 15 of the 16 games. He had 20 receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown. Following that year he dealt with injuries and only played in 3 games during the 2004 season. During the 2005 season, he would play in all 16 games, being able to start in 12 of them. His stats were not the best, which led him to get traded to the Detroit Lions.
Overall, Campbell has helped to turn around the Lions and we are all here for it! There is always next year for playoffs.
