LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL TRAINING CAMP DAY 11 QUOTE SHEET
August 5, 2023
Opening Statement: “So, this is our last kind of big one before the Giants come in. And I’ve been pleased with our guys. I mean they – they’re going, they’re working. Details are getting better. I mean we’ve got a long way to go, but up to this point, I’m pleased with where we’re at and these next two weeks are going to be critical. We’ve got two real good opponents coming in and they’re both different, which I love, just style, scheme, all of it, so today’s to wrap it up. This will be a big one for us.”
On what he learned from joint practices with the Colts last season that he wants to apply to joint practices with the Giants: “Yeah, well, first of all, it’s what you think it’s going to be, as far as the intensity goes up and the level of competition. It’s a different – it’s a fresh look at somebody else and I love that because camp – you’ve got to be careful. You get into the same routine, the rut, the mundane and you don’t really ever go. You’re just spinning your wheels, so this will be good for us. So, it validated that, but I think also – I loved what we did, but there was a couple of things that – maybe a couple of more team periods here and there, or maybe we come together more, that was one of the things – I would love to, at the very end, we’re all on one field and so, our offense is watching our defense and then we switch it. So, we’ll do some of that at the very end of both days, which I like. And I think it’s important that your teammates see what’s going on, on the other side of the ball. And then just a couple of little clean up things, like last year, we were the – we get out there to them and we start the one-on-one periods with the backs and linebackers and we’re all the way down at one end of the field and then, ‘Oh we can’t – we’re throwing into them, we’ve got to bring them –’ making sure everything is set up perfectly. It’s not – I’m all about chaos, but not like that. We’re organized, player safety, we’ve got people back and it’s – and we get really good work, keep them healthy, keep them up, I would say that.”
On why these next two weeks of joint practices are valuable: “Yeah, well they’re valuable in what I already kind of explained, just the level of competition and it’s something different, which I think is great for our guys. It’s no different than – I mean, you get unbelievable work with – for example, (Lions T Penei) Sewell and (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, going back-to-back – over and over, and they – you start figuring each other out a little bit, which is awesome because you have to keep tinkering with it. Well, to be able to now, to get a different opponent, you get a totally different look and now I’ve got to adjust quickly, quickly, to get my job done. I just – I think those are invaluable and a lot of it is there’s going to be a few players that – this is their game. I mean this is really their game reps. That was kind of part of the allure for me too, is man, we can really load our guys up with great looks, a lot of volume, intensity and then they may sit in the games.”
On what he learned with last season’s training camp schedule that influenced how he scheduled practices this year: “Well, no, I think more than anything like if it’s a – I really wanted to just – I would love to just keep going at 8:30. But I do think – one of the things going into this year was, we’ve got to be able to adapt to the schedule. We have – we’ve got these Thursday games, we’ve got night games, it’s a Monday, it’s a Thursday, it’s back – and so our schedule is going to continue to just evolve as we go. It’ll be changing nonstop, so they can’t ever get in a – I want them to never really get in a routine, if that makes sense, or just about the time you do, then it switches on you and I felt like this was one way to do it. And so man, now, let’s start with the walkthrough, now you’ve got prep to get ready for practice and we start at 10:30, so – and it was for you guys, so you can sleep in a little bit.”
On the changes he made to the training camp practice schedule this season: “Yeah, well that’s – like what we do here, and we’ve done, like to me, it’s all about pulling the most you can out of these guys and getting real good, high intensity, or volume work and then man, back them down and then let’s ramp it back up again. And so, I’ve always had that philosophy. But it’s also, that’s part of it, but then knowing what’s coming in here. So, we – like the other day, that was – we put over 40 reps on our starters. That’s good. This time of year, to be able to do that, we’ve got a base on them. That’s how you build a foundation, because the intensity is – we’re getting the intensity and then we needed the volume. That was their first heavy dose of volume, so to think we’re going to be able to pull really good work yesterday out of them is – that’s a fool’s gold there, so that’s why it was back them down, but also know we’re about to have two physical practices against the Giants in pads, so I also want them to be – to get their legs back under them, get their bodies back and be ready to go for those two because those are important.”
On the weight he feels under him with season tickets being sold out at Ford Field for the first time: “No, I don’t feel weight. I feel wind underneath my freaking wings, man. That’s what I feel. Truthfully.”
On how the sold-out season tickets news uplifts him: “Absolutely, absolutely. I love this, man. This is outstanding. I love our fans. I love that they feel it like we feel it. And no, this is not a burden, this is not pressure, this is not weight, this is man, this gives me inspiration, is what it does for me and our guys.”
On if the national media’s expectations for the team put weight on him: “No, listen, it’s always going to be, ‘It is what it is.’ And stay true to what is on the tape and what our guys are saying by the way they play and our coaches and I get – look, you guys have a job to do, so do they and – but we’ve got a job to do and we have to stay true to what we know works and trust what our eyes see and what we feel.”
On what Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Scottie Montgomery brings in his role: “Yeah, listen, Scottie’s a stud, man. I’m so fortunate that I was able to get him on our staff. You lose a guy like (Carolina Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach) Duce (Staley), man, you know how much I respect Duce and what I think of him as a coach, but man, to be able to get Scottie in here has been invaluable because there’s just a number of things, like – a lot of it for me, for him is he will – he’s going to slowly, I’m going to slowly start doing more with him where he gets in front of the team, some of these things. But I want them to get to know him a little bit and that’s what started in the spring and it’s quickly coming along, but as far as it, man he’s somebody that – there’s these little things that’ll pop up, I talk to him. I say, ‘What would you do on this?’ Look, he’s been around. He’s seen some things and he’s a good sounding board for me. He’s brought some things, schematically, that they did and that he’s done from the run game, but also the pass game. Just a couple of little things that they do, some of their crossing routes, things of that nature, they were doing out there in Indianapolis that I think is really good and that caught my eye when I was interviewing him two years ago, so he’s brought that to us and we’re using some of this stuff and it’s starting to show up. So, I just think he – and he’s excellent. The way he pushes those guys. He pushes those running backs, demands a lot out of them, he’s accountable and he’s high energy and he’s smart.”
On what a hard-working player like Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown brings to the team: “Well, it’s like – that to me that – a guy like Saint, he sets the bar. He sets the bar and so to me, he’s one of those pieces that sets the bar as to, that’s the beginning. That’s where it is and now, can we get above that? Because I know this, if it’s below, it isn’t good enough and because that guy, the way he comes out every day, he has not changed one bit since he was a rookie. I mean he does all the same things that has validated what he’s done and the production that has come by the way that he works. He just goes. And it’s every little thing, every little detail, he finishes. You see him pre-practice, you see him post-practice, he doesn’t change one thing. And there – when you do that, there’s no way he’s not going to have a big year. There’s no way. Because he’s not changed one thing. And I know this, if I’m a young guy, I’m watching him every play. I would be, they should be, so he’s unbelievable, he really is. And my biggest fear is that I don’t ever want to take him for granted because sometimes you just – he’s just going to – he’s going to always be there. He’s always going to make a play, he’s always going to – and I appreciate that about him, so he’s something else.”
On his assessment of the new personnel on the athletic training staff: “They’ve done great. I love (Lions Director of Player Health and Performance Brett Fischer) Fisch, man. Fisch and (Lions Head Athletic Trainer) Mike Sundeen, our head trainer. I think we have a clear vision on just really getting these players recovery, rehabilitation. I think we push the boundaries of modern medicine in a good way, but we’re smart about it and I think the combination of those guys along with (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark who’s really the head of our sports performance, those guys altogether man, I think we’re doing some really good things and I think our guys believe it. They’re buying into it, they’re doing the work and I think it’s going to pay dividends as the season gets closer.”
On the value of the USFL and XFL leagues for the development of players: “It’s invaluable, it’s invaluable. And part of me it’s like man, you guys remember NFL Europe? I mean I told the guys this story about a week ago, but it was – I mean two names, La’Roi Glover and Marco Rivera and they were both late draft picks and they were just kind of the guys that needed more – they’re not, who knows, we kind of like them, they’re promising, but man, they need to play. Send them over to Europe for the spring, they come back and next thing you know, La’Roi Glover is All-Decade Team. He’s unbelievable. Marco Rivera, All-Pro guard for Green Bay for years. And I think it’s the development to be able to play and then find this talent and bring them in and now let’s see if they can play at this level against this competition – I think it’s huge. It’s big. Because ultimately, you can try to develop, you can do all these things, but if you can’t play the game and get reps after reps of real-time game, it’s hard to accelerate it. It’s hard. You only have three pre-season games.”
On if he is going to WWE Summer Slam at Ford Field: “I’m not, I would love to, but I’m trying to win.”
LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP TRAINING CAMP DAY 11 QUOTE SHEET
August 5, 2023
Opening Statement: “Good morning. Golly man, how we doing? Yeah, great, great, great. It’s great to be here. I hope you guys had a great summer. I know when you coach football, man, there’s nothing like being out here with these players in training camp at this time of year. Obviously, a ton of optimism around here, and I feel very fortunate. I know I said that a year ago but being in this building and with the ownership, and the people in the front office, obviously the head coach (Dan Campbell) for me is huge, and having the opportunity to do something that you love is incredible. I’m having fun, we’re having fun, we have a lot of work to do. As you guys know, the back end of the roster turns over every year, so there’s a lot going on out there, but it’s also an exciting time of year for us.”
On if the compatibility of the kicker and long snapper impacts the final decision: “No, I think it’s a good question. Is there a difference? Yeah, sometimes this – what do they call it, synergistic effect, sum of the parts is greater than the whole – with combination of this three versus that three. I think that’s possible, but ultimately, I think that usually happens with the best players.”
On his evaluations of Lions K Parker Romo and Lions K Riley Patterson so far: “Yeah, I’m excited about both these guys. I hate it that we had to get rid of (former Lions K Kicker Michael) Badgley. It’s just part of the deal. Any time you’re looking to try to upgrade your roster and improve, you have to make changes and have to go through some players to find good players sometimes, but I’m really appreciative of what he did for us. I mean he came in here and saved us at an important time last year, so I have a lot of respect for him and think very highly of him. I am excited about the two we have. I think (Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell) coach explained it pretty good a while back when he talked to you guys about the differences of those three players, but we feel like we have two guys, one in a – who has a lot of talent, leg talent in Romo. So, he has a lot of leg talent, and maybe he needs a little bit more development, but we feel like he’s done a nice job. And then a little bit more consistent, but a young player in Patterson, who obviously we know a lot about and had, and the truth is he’s really coming along, and his leg strength’s really increased. He looks really good in the training camp, so I’m really excited about him, and I think sometimes with young players you see that where they bounce around a bit for the first couple years, and then all of a sudden they start to grab ahold of something there. So hopefully, he does that for us, but yeah, I’m encouraged.”
On what he hoped to see from the long snapper competition between Lions LS Scott Daly and Lions LS Jake McQuaide: “Yeah, so at the end of last season – Daly’s done a great job since he’s been here, but last season I felt like personally – and him and I have talked about this, but I felt like personally he didn’t make the step forward that we wanted to see from him from the year before. And we thought he got better, but he could get better at a faster rate, and sometimes competition helps accelerate that process. And then the McQuaide thing kind of fell into our hands. So, our plan was to bring in another guy and we didn’t think it was necessarily a veteran guy like that, and McQuaide ended up really reaching out to us and he wanted to be here. His family’s down in Ohio, not too far away, and so for him this place made sense for him. And in that process, we were very forthcoming with what the opportunity looked like and if it were even then Daly would end up getting the nod over him, he was going to have to come in here and beat him out. So anyway, that’s kind of the situation with those guys. Obviously, I love having McQuaide here. I mean this guy’s a high caliber player, played in the Pro-Bowl, been a great snapper his whole career. He’s been a guy who I’ve watched on film just in terms of protection and being an example when I was in Philadelphia with (Philadelphia Eagles LS) Rick Lovato, being an example of how to protect on punt. He’s obviously coming off a tricep injury and so he’s been working through that. He’s been healthy since he’s been here, but anyways – so we’re obviously thrilled to have him. He’s just a total pro and I have a ton of respect for him. And the competition is going great. Both of these guys are at a high level right now, so we’re excited about it.”
On is the kick returner role is Lions RB Justin Jackson’s to lose: “Yeah, it is a good question. Is it his job to lose? I think yeah, in a way it is. He did it for us a year ago. He played well for us, but at the same time I would say a lot of times that job is not like, ‘OK, you’re the best kick returner, you’re going to make the roster and be here.’ Sometimes it’s like, ‘What else does that guy do for the football team?’ And I think at that position as a kick returner, you have to be more than just a kick returner, and you have to have more value than that. So, I think ultimately, that position will come down to who gives us the most value on the roster.”
On Lions RB Justin Jackson has been playing in the personal protection position: “Yeah, he’s been great. We put him in the personal protection position. That was obviously a concern for us when (Lions DB) C.J. (Gardner-Johnson) was out, but he’s done a great job with that. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Now, he did do that when he was with the Chargers out there in L.A., so he’s had some experience doing it, so it wasn’t brand new for him, but yeah, we feel really good about him doing that right now.”
On his relationship with Saints Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi and the recruiting process for Lions K Parker Romo: “Our personnel guys upstairs, our pro guys actually came to me about him and I didn’t know a whole lot about him, so we ended up picking him up and bringing him in and then after the fact I did hear from Rizzi, but it wasn’t before, so really it had nothing to do with it. Our pro guys do a great job of identifying players. I mean they’re all over it, as good as I’ve been around, so I’m very grateful for those guys.”
On what he has seen from the competition for the gunner position during camp: “Yeah, I would hold off on saying – I mean really, that position, you’re going to find out a lot once we can tackle and finish the play and who can show up down the field, so right now, there’s a lot of drill work and you think you’re more excited about one guy than the other, but it’ll help us out this next week when we go against the Giants in practice, that’ll be a part of the practice format, getting those guys reps, competitive reps on the outside and then obviously, these preseason games, but right now, I think I said a year ago you’re just trying to build a large volume of a catalog of information on every player. What positions can he play? Can he play gunner? Can he play a wing on punt? Can he be a personal protector? And then can he play the front line on kickoff return? Can he play in the backend? And really what happens is once the roster gets cut down, then it’s like OK now these are the guys we have, how are we going to play them and how can we make the best unit that we can make? And that doesn’t mean they’re always playing the position that would be best for the individual to play. It just means that with the eleven guys we have, this will make the best group that we can make. So, for me, right now, a lot of it’s like just trying to find out what can these guys do, what do they do best, what positions should we put them in when we end up being told, ‘These are the guys you got, figure it out.’”
On the importance of the ability to perform kickoffs when determining who will be the starting kicker: “Yeah, it is a great question because that does kind of go back even to the (former Lions K Michael) Badgley decision, that would be not his strength. And it’s hard because we have a punter who can kickoff, so that’s a great option for us and we’re fortunate to have that with (Lions P Jack) Fox and he does a great job with that, and I think ultimately, as a coach, for me, when it comes down to gameday, we’re going to play the best players. The guys who help us win the most, so if that means Fox is kicking off that’s great. But I think you hate being backed into a corner where if something happened to Fox, or he wasn’t feeling great, or he was fatigued and you didn’t want to put his leg in a stressful position, then you want to take that kickoff off him, well then who’s doing it? Well, if you don’t have a kicker who can kick off, now he’s forced to do it, now you’re pushing him through that, now something happens to him, now you’re really in trouble. Or something happens to him, you have a kicker on the roster who can’t kickoff, you’re looking for a punter, but now your punter has got to kick off also, so the guy you bring in as a punter has got to kick off and now it limits you as to who you select as a punter. So, the more these guys can do, obviously the better, so how important is the kickoff? I think, personally, it’s important I think a kicker in the National Football League should be able to kickoff at a high level. And then if your punter is fortunate to be able to do that too, you can pick the best one on game day, but someone can say that the kicker position, kicking off isn’t as important now maybe with this fair catch rule and all that, but I would say that if the kicker’s not great at kicking off, they’re not going to fair catch at all, they’re going to be returning it right back at you, so it’s important that you’re good enough.”
On Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin’s impact on special teams: “I think everybody in this building feels great about having Germ back here. I mean he’s a great player, he’s a great person, you know what he is on special teams. I think the defensive guys know what he is on defense, you don’t have to worry about that spot and we lost some good players a year ago in (Patriots LB Chris) Board and (Cardinals LB Josh) Woods and some of those guys, so getting a guy in, like that, really helps take some of the pressure off these other guys.”
On how Lions RB Jermar Jefferson’s development has impacted special teams and how similar his development is to Lions LS Scott Daly: “Yeah, I don’t think I’d put Jermar on the same boat, just because he hasn’t really played for us during the regular season and Daly has been playing, but in terms of Jermar’s development, I mean I think he’s developed every year he’s been here. It’s obviously his third year, so it’s a big year for him. I do think he’s gotten better, more consistent, more dependable from my standpoint, and then we’ll give him a bunch of reps in the preseason and see what he does.” |
