LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL TRAINING CAMP DAY 13 QUOTE SHEET

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL TRAINING CAMP DAY 13 QUOTE SHEET
August 10, 2022

Opening Statement: “So, this is our last practice open to the public, so this has been great. It’s been great having them all out. It’s been a real good turnout. It brings a lot of energy to everybody, the coaches, players and it’s a good feel, it’s a good vibe. So, be sad to see it go a little bit, but I – we’ll be off to Indy next week.”
On his reaction to the first episode of ‘Hard Knocks’ and if people kept calling his phone about it: “Yeah, the phone was – I did not watch it, but yeah, I have an idea on some of the things that were in there because my – I told some of my close friends, my roommates in college, they were crushing me. So, I have an idea on some things.”
On what his friends were saying about him being on the first episode of ‘Hard Knocks’: “Oh, just Metallica, ‘Two minutes into the show, Metallica is – he’s already talking about that.’ Whatever, one of the comments that I made in the team meeting. Just little stuff, it’s all good.”
On if the positive perception on social media after the first episode of ‘Hard Knocks’ means anything to him: “No, I think you’re – no. I am who I am, I mean that’s – I am who I am. So, look anytime you do something like this, this is a big thing and you’re going to be out there in the public eye and people are going to gather their own perception of who you are and I’m not changing that. I mean, one way or another I can’t change that, I just got to be myself.”
On what he hopes people will take away from the team being on ‘Hard Knocks’: “I hope to take this, that man, we value wins and we’re looking to win, that’s what matters out of all this other stuff, all the smoke and mirrors, the clouds, the freaking – we’re trying to focus on winning. We’ve got to find a way to win because it’s all for naught. So, this whole ‘beautiful bubble’ and all these things, man, you lose your first three games or something and all of a sudden I’m getting run out of town. And that’s the reality and these players don’t look as good. So, we’ve got to find a way to win, that’s what camp’s about and we’ve got to be ready to go.”
On if practice will ramp up as the first preseason game approaches: “Not – I would say, look yesterday was pretty physical, it was – that was really our hard day for the week, it was short-yardage goal line, full pads. And so, today will still be competitive but we’ll take the pads off of them. We’ll get a little pressure, a little four-minute, two-minute back and forth with the O and D. And then, at that point, really not until tomorrow we’ll start getting them ready for Atlanta tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll still be cleaning up today’s practice, things of that nature. So, it’s still competitive, but I think we’re kind of on the backend now a little bit getting ready for Atlanta, physically. And then there again, mentally it’ll start tomorrow.”
On how he would explain the Lions unofficial depth chart that was released yesterday to a fan who does not understand: “I would say it’s officially unofficial. It’s a – look, a good example of (Lions CB) Will (Harris), I mean Will started for us at the end of the year. I mean he was our starter, so why would he not be up there at number one? As far as everybody else, I mean it’s – it means something, but it doesn’t mean something. I mean, there’s so many things that are going to shake out. I mean, like I don’t know where (Lions RB) Godwin (Igwebuike) is on that, but Godwin was probably the sixth running back last year and he made our team because of special teams. So, there’s a lot in play, I wouldn’t put a lot of stock in it. I would say this, there’s probably a pretty good chance that (Lions QB) Jared Goff stays our starter at quarterback. So, that one is set in stone. But no, I wouldn’t worry too much about that.”
On what he wants to see from players who are coming off of major injuries in Friday’s preseason game: “Yeah, I think it’s a – like most, when the lights come on and you get a little more pressure and it’s different competition or you’re doing – are you taking what you’ve been coached to do and that we’re working on at practice to the field? Or – that goes with any player. Every player is that way because look, I think there’s a number of – there’s a number of players that man, they are very good practice players and then, when the lights come on their technique is – it doesn’t even show up. It’s gone. It’s like they never learned it before, or they’re making mental errors, or they freeze up in the moment. So, I think (Lions CB) Jeff (Okudah), with everybody that’s what we’re looking for. And let me say this, I would say this about the vets that play, some of these guys – particularly the older vets, you don’t have to see it every day, but you’ve got to see it. And that was a (former NFL Head Coach) Bill Parcells deal. You don’t have to see it every day, but you’ve got to see it. And so, when we’re going into these games, it won’t be long, but we’ve got to know you still got it.”
On what he sees from Lions DL John Cominsky and where his versatility fits in on the roster: “Yeah, listen, he – we like this player, which is one of the reasons we did put him in. ‘The Comish,’ man, works his rear off, and he’s smart, and he does have versatility. He can play the big end, he can play some three-technique in rush downs, and honestly, it’s really about getting him more looks with some of the better units. We’ve got to get him in there a little bit more versus the second and first units, and so we’re keeping our eye on him, but we like where he’s at, from really just what you just said because of the things that he can do. And look, he is – he kind of meets our criteria. He’s everything we’re about because he does – he goes to work. He’s a lunch pail guy, and he’s all out all the time. He’s very coachable.”
On how he is trying to get third-unit players looks against better competition: “Yes, (Lions LB Malcolm) Rodriguez would be an example of that is trying to get him better looks against better competition. We gave (Lions DL Demetrius Taylor) Meech some of those looks in the scrimmage the other day, kind of with the ones and stuff. And so yeah, I think that’s – we’re identifying these guys that we need to see against some better talent and see how they perform.”
On if he needed to see third-unit players compete against the ones to make his assessments: “No, I’m just making a general statement.”
On his evaluation of the short-yardage run game after seeing it during training camp: “Yeah, well, there again, that was really our first exposure to it this year, and look, that’s always a fine line – the short-yardage goal line is always tough and it has been ever since I’ve been coaching, is man, you either walk through it or go full speed, but you can’t just say, ‘Hey we’re thud.’ Because it just – it doesn’t work inevitably, because of the competition level, the, ‘You only need a yard,’ and so, it inevitably – something can happen where, alright so – staff and I talked about it, and we feel like we need to go live. And we got really, really good work out of it. So, I would say first day out of the gate, it was pretty good. It was pretty good. It was certainly competitive. But you could see the fundamentals, the technique, nobody got hurt, and we got better.”
On what the team is doing in practice to be more efficient in short-yardage situations: “Well, I think that’s the first way, right? Is to practice it and practice it full speed. That’s where it’s all got to start. We’ve got some good – we got some things that are, that we’ve cooked up that are pretty good, but I mean it’s all for naught if you can’t just – when you really need it, you can line up and lean on somebody and hand it to 30 or one of these running backs. And on the flip side of that, to be able to just mano a mano, you can – (Lions NT) Alim (McNeill) can take on these double teams, you can split a double team. We can get some penetration. If you can’t do those, it’s all for naught. So, to me, that’s where it all starts. And we really didn’t get – we really didn’t get much of that last year. And there again – it’s also, you talk to just about any coach in this League and it’s easy to say that, ‘We’re going to do a bunch of short-yardage goal line.’ But you’re also – I mean it’s physical, and there’s a lot of bodies in there, and so you want to be smart about it too.”
On if his approach to determining the kickers’ playtime in the preseason will be having them on high alert at all times: “Yeah, I think that’s high alert at all times, would be the plan right now. We see both of those guys kicking. As of right now, we see both of them kicking in all the games.”
On if the kicking competition is one of the tighter competitions on roster: “Yeah, I would say so. I would say so. I like where both of them are at.”
On if he has started to see the trust build between players and staff: “Yeah, the trust? Absolutely. Absolutely. I really, really believe they trust myself and the staff, that we are doing everything that we can to set them up for success. Physically, but for a long season too, and for wins, to give them – put them in an opportunity to win ball games. I really do believe that.”