LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL TRAINING CAMP DAY 15 QUOTE SHEET
August 18, 2025
Opening Statement: “(Lions EDGE) Ahmed (Hassanein)’s going to be down for a while, he’s got a pec. And then we’re going to start (Lions CB) Khalil Dorsey, he’s going to start going. We’ll start today individual group, some of that stuff, and hopefully by the end of the week maybe we can get him worked in a few things. I don’t know if he’ll play or not, but this is a step in the right direction getting him back.”
On whether or not Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein has a chance to return from his injury this season: “It’s a good question. I don’t have that answer yet.”
On if the team will consider placing Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein on Reserve/Injured: “I think just with where we’re at right now, we’re going to kind of hang tight. Is that what you’re asking? Yeah, we’re just going to hang tight with where we’re at. Certainly if something shows here over the next week, which probably the odds of that are pretty slim, then yeah we would keep our eyes open. I know (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes)’s looking at everything, but right now we’re just going to hang tight.”
On if the injury that Lions S Kerby Joseph is dealing with is still a knee irritation: “Yeah, it’s something he’s been dealing with a little bit. So, he won’t be out there today. We’re hoping to get him back late in the week, that’s the hope right now. We don’t feel like it’s a major problem, it’s just something we’re trying to manage right now and get it calmed down.”
On if Lions S Morice Norris will be able to play this season: “That’s TBD right now. We’re being very thorough with this and he’s doing well. He’s doing good right now but I don’t even want to go that far. I just know he’s down today and we’ll keep going.”
On what the challenge is for newly signed players to execute the scheme or system: “Well, it is challenging. It is a challenge, but it’s the opportunity you’re given and whether it’s hard, it’s not – I’m going to go back to (former Lions QB) Jake Fromm. We got Jake Fromm like three days before the game and he digested the whole game plan, knew it inside and out and went out and made plays. And it’s like you can’t ignore that, that’s what I would say. So, no it’s not easy, not everybody can do it, but the ones that all of a sudden just – I mean they stick out like a sore thumb. Like, ‘Woah. This guy just walked in the door and he knows everything,’ which means that you probably put the time in, you really worked at it to know it, you’re probably pretty aware, there’s things about you that you adapt very quickly. So those are good things to see and we’re just, like I say, we’re keeping our eye open for everybody that we bring in here to see if there’s something they can do.”
On if the versatility of Lions CB Rock Ya-Sin, Lions DB Avonte Maddox and Lions S Erick Hallett II gives him comfort going into the season: “The more versatile that we are – you could say that across the roster, but the backend, it allows you to do more things. And now you can truly take the best guys that you feel are going to help you on gameday, you get them there because of special teams or, ‘Hey man, this guy can play safety, nickel, he can play the outside corner, he can play the dime linebacker if we need him.’ So, I mean between (Lions DB Brian) Branch and yes, Maddox. Rock, we’re trying to get him safety. Now he’s still raw to the safety position, but he can go outside and play. He can help us on some teams, so that’s good, the safety stuff, we just keep going with it. He’s improving, it’s just new to him, so the more he gets, the better he’ll be. We’ve come a long way in that regard. (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson) can play inside and outside, so can (Lions CB D.J.) Reed, so anytime you’ve got a lot of guys that can do multiple jobs, it really helps you out. It allows you to bring the best to gameday and now all three phases you can mix and match and you’re not worried about, ‘This guy can only go in to do this job, then this guy can only go in to do this job,’ and now pretty soon you’re like – it just gets hard.”
On how he feels waking up now that there is only one week left of training camp before the season begins: “It’s crazy. I mean it is, it’s almost here. Now that we’re into really the end of it with Houston at the tail end, what seemed like it was just the beginning is now close to the end and it has flown by. So, I think as always, the trick is to keep your eyes on what’s in front of you right now. I’m really fired up that we’re going to get Houston to come in here. It’s only for one practice, but I mean those guys are – what (Texans Head Coach) DeMeco (Ryans)’s done out there has been really impressive and I know this defense is – they’re the real deal, the way they play, the way they practice, go about their business, they’ve got weaponry on offense, quarterback’s a good little player, you can go across the board. So my point, I can’t wait. That’s perfect. So, that keeps me from jumping too far ahead. So we’ve got this little batch left. I can’t wait to get Houston here because it’ll be great for us, we need the work and it’ll make us better, I just know it will. So that’s where we’re at now, but I’m trying to keep my eyes there because I do want to look over the hill.”
On if there is anything different that the team will try to accomplish in joint practices this week: “No, no, no. It’ll be very similar. There will be a couple of things that (Texans Head Coach) DeMeco (Ryans) and I will do different. There will be a little – like one thing would be more of a second-long to third down period, second-long play it out. We’ve done it out here with our own guys, those are good. And so, now those are more stress just on offensively picking up the chunk yardage that you need or what can you get back to put yourself in a third-and-manageable, and then defensively it’s to be able to keep them back. You’ve got them back, now how do you expose a team when you’ve got them at second-and-10 and get off the field? So anyway, we’ll do some of that, but we’ll do a lot of other things. I mean, we’re going to get 40 to 50 plays in, which will be good for our guys.”
On what Lions C Kingsley Eguakun has to do to cement his spot at backup center and how that compares to Lions OL Tate Ratledge’s experience at center: “Yeah, well just keep improving. Kingsley has improved and we’ve said all along for him it’s just about the anchor for him. He’s not a huge guy, but he’s got to make up with his quickness, his smarts, his aggressiveness, his agility, which he does. It’s just got to be on and on point every time. And so, he’s gotten better and that is a focus for him. And the mental, he’s pretty dang good, this camp he’s been really sharp. He can process information quick, make the calls, he sees it. So, he’s doing a good job. And then certainly we haven’t gone back to Ratledge very much, we’ve just kind of let him deep dive at guard with (Lions T Penei) Sewell and (Lions T Taylor) Decker on his bumpers. We just feel like that’s been good, but we’ve got to get him worked back in there some and really that’s kind of where we’re at.”
On how he evaluates his acting abilities from last year’s Applebee’s commercial to this year’s: “I don’t want to watch. I don’t want to see it, so. Listen, it was fun. I told Holly (Campbell) when I was done, I was like, ‘Why did – that didn’t feel good.’ So if you’re asking me, I didn’t feel real good when I finished this one. I felt like last year was better, but anyway, all good.”
On if Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa has earned an opportunity to play more time with the ones this week and what he is looking to see from him against top defenders: “He’s doing a great job. He continues to improve for a young guy. He just keeps growing and the more that he proves that he can do some things for us, the more opportunities he’s going to get to be with (Lions QB Jared) Goff. And like I say, at some point we’re going to need him whether it’s early, it’s late, whatever that is. Now you’re – are there things he can do for us, we’re beginning to see he might be able to do some things for us on offense, we feel like he can do some things on special teams which means he’s going to the game, we feel like. So those are all good things and with that group of receivers that we have, and now his ability to do some things if it continues to go the way it is, which I can’t imagine it won’t, that’s a good sign for us at the skill position.”
On how hard it is for developmental players like Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein to have a long-term injury early in their career: “You hate it for those guys first because nobody feels worse than they do. He puts in the work, he wants it and you do. It’s tough when it’s a young guy because you build so much of what you are, your foundation, over your first two years and so to lose half of camp – the good news is he got about half of camp, the bad news is he’s going to miss the rest of that. It’s tough, you wish they could be there, I know he does too but it is what it is. And the good news with that kid is he is a grinder. He’s going to do everything it takes, you already know that. He’s going to do everything it takes to heal up, to rehab, to be back, he’s going to stay in it mentally, learn what he can, process what he can and that’s always going to give you a chance to be better when you come back.”
On how much the offensive line solidifies and expands the possibilities in the vertical passing game: “Oh yeah. Always starts with the O-line for us. I mean you can – it doesn’t matter how good (Lions QB Jared) Goff is, it doesn’t matter how good (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown, (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo vertical, (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf, all these guys, (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs. If we can’t protect and we can’t keep them out of Goff’s lap, we will struggle. So, it is the most important thing to your vertical pass game, it’s the most important thing to your play-action pass, it’s everything. So, it all starts with our front and those guys have gotten better and they’re beginning to gel, and we’ve still got more work to do.”
