August 19, 2026
Opening Statement: “Oh man, I can’t believe I’m here, I’ll just say that. Just being a coach in this League, there’s nothing like it. I feel like a kid in a candy store, I was thinking about that before I came down here. When I was a kid, my brothers and I, we’d ride our bike down the street. A couple miles away, we’d eat a little candy. You’d share, ‘Hey, can I get one of yours? You give me one of mine.’ It was incredible, but it’s the same thing today. I feel very, very fortunate and lucky working for a head coach that I’m working for, being a part of this organization, working with these players out on the practice field, there’s really nothing like it for me. So, I’m thankful to be here.”
On his candy of choice: “It was Coke bottles, the little Coke gummies, Coke bottled gummies. Those things were pretty strong. The red jellybeans, those ones too. That was it.”
On the impact he has on picking which guys make the roster based on their special teams’ abilities: “Yeah, I think I tell the players – I mean, in the old days I felt like, yeah, there was a handful of guys that they just made the roster on special teams. And I feel like over the last handful of years has changed a little bit. We’ve had more injuries collectively, probably as a League. You’re playing more players throughout the course of a year. I tell the players now, ‘You’re going to make the team probably in two phases. You’re going to have to play on offense and special teams or defense and special teams.’ And I know this, the more that you can do, the better in modern football. If all you can do is play on special teams, you’re going to have to be really, really special to make it just on that. Now you have to have some function. Now, if you’re very, very good on special teams and you can help a little bit on defense, you’ve got a chance. Or you’re really, really good on defense and don’t do too much on special teams, you’ve still got a chance there. But I think for the most part, we’re looking for guys who can help in all areas. And we end up playing a lot of players throughout the course of the year. When they ask my opinion on guys, I’m going to give them my opinion and tell them to the best of my knowledge what I think and how a guy will play for us.”
On any younger guys who understand how valuable special teams is to making the roster: “Yeah. I think the one thing we’ve got, we are replacing some good players and there’s also a lot of good competition out there. I would definitely say that. And there’s a lot of players at a lot of positions. Like linebacker, there’s four guys probably. You’ve got (Lions LB) Erick Hunter, you’ve got (Lions LB Joe) Bachie, you’ve got (Lions LB Troy) Reeder and you’ve got (Lions LB Amen) Ogbongbemiga. These four players, they can all play. You’ve got (Lions LB Erick) Hunter, the young guy, the other guys have all played in the League and it’s very, very competitive. So, you’re looking for who’s going to play the most or be the most dependable player, who can help the most on defense and special teams, probably the combination of the two, so that’s a competitive spot. I think the wide receiver spot’s very, very competitive. You’ve got (Lions WR Tay) Martin, you’ve got (Lions WR Tarik) Black, you’ve got (Lions WR) Lucky Jackson who’s made some plays. And these are all down the line guys. And then obviously those guys above them, you have the returner position with (Lions WR Tom) Kennedy and (Lions WR Greg) Dortch really at punt returner, (Lions WR Dominic) Lovett fitting into that a little bit, but really probably Kennedy and Dortch right now in my opinion. So there’s a number of positions, the safety position is really up in the air right there. Who’s going to play there? Obviously with the injuries to the safety position, who’s coming back? And so yeah, there’s a lot to process.”
On how much Lions LB Erick Hunter has caught the team’s eye: “Yeah, I would say he’s definitely caught our eye, he’s caught everybody’s eye I know that. The challenge for young guys is – and we match guys up with a lot of different players, we do that. We do veteran on veteran, veteran on rookie, smaller guy on bigger guy, bigger guy on smaller guy. You’re trying to gain a lot of information this time of year so that when you get in the season, you know who can handle what matchups. For him, he’s definitely done something probably every practice where you’re like, ‘Wow, he did a great job there.’ Or he stood out. And that’s really what you’re looking for. Now that being said, he’s also made some big mistakes too. And it’s like, ‘Man, how much of that can you weather?’ Well, when you’re talking about the punt team, not a lot. So those guys have got to go out there and execute. They’ve got to protect the passer. It’s going to be a blitz most of the time that they’re picking up and they’ve got to be 100 percent. And you can’t have a sack or for us, a blocked punt. So anyway, yeah, he’s done some good things. And I would say he’s right in the middle of a competition. The advantage those other guys have is they’ve played, so they’ve been through that stuff. I think (Bill) Belichick, I love Belichick, but he used to have a thing where there’d be no rookies playing on the punt team. He just didn’t want that to happen because he knew a mistake in that phase is devastating. So anytime you have to put a young player out there like that, you have got to be careful. And that’s his challenge that he’s fighting the other guys have experience, but they haven’t in some ways flashed as much as he has at certain things too. So, it’ll be interesting.”
On why he thinks the kick returner is not always also the punt returner and if he thinks someone on the roster could play both positions: “Well, I would say number one is on kick return, you have to have two players back there. So, it can’t just be the punt returner anyway. So the punt returner may be a part of that, but he may not. I think it really just depends on the roster, the makeup, who you have. I do know that if you were asking me preference, I would say I would like a bigger, stronger guy on kickoff return. And most of that’s just durability. I mean, those guys take some shots and I would say there’s a little bit more contact with those guys. It’s a little bit more like a run play than it is ball out in space, that’s a little bit more like a punt return. So, it’s definitely difficult to find a guy who does both. That being said, it also depends on the makeup of your roster. You might have a top wide out or one of your top wide outs you want to return punch, but you don’t want him to return kickoffs. That could be part of that decision. So, a lot that goes into it.”
On if Lions WR Greg Dortch will play both kick and punt returner: “Yeah, I think Dortch has done a little bit of both. He’s done more punt return than kickoff return, but he’s certainly done both there. I think (Lions WR Tom Kennedy) TK can do some of both, we’ve seen him do that for us too. So you’re talking about two guys that could do that. Then it also for us would turn back to, who else do we have available on game day and what’s the best combination of 11 we can get? And in that conversation now, I know he’s not out there right now, but does (Lions RB Isiah) Pacheco figure into that? Somebody like that. Now maybe you could have Pacheco and whoever that other running back is back there, and you get two running back bodies and you don’t play the punt returner back there. So just always to make the best 11 and also play the best you can throughout the course of the whole season too, not just any one game.”
On the advantage of having a kicker, holder and long snapper entering their third season as a unit: “Yeah, it’s obviously great having all three of those guys back. You know how I feel about all three of them. I think all three are great players. They’re very passionate about what they do and they really work hard and become better every year and really every day, which I love. But yeah, it’s a benefit to them because now they can get in a good rhythm and routine, work together. They know each other’s idiosyncrasies and nuances. You’re not adjusting your rhythm for a different snapper and things like that. So I think it’s helpful for them too, but it’s also comforting for us.”
On what Lions RB Isiah Pacheco brings as a kick returner and what he has seen from Lions RB Jacob Saylors on special teams: “Yeah, so Pacheco, I mean, no, he did a little bit of it when he was younger in Kansas City, so he’s seen that. He had some good plays back there. More than anything, just watching him run the ball on offense. I think (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs would make a good returner too. But anyways, but yeah, so anytime if a guy’s dynamic with the ball in his hands on offense, then there’s a chance that translates on special teams too. And so that’s kind of really what we see in Pacheco. Obviously when he gets healthy, maybe we can get him back there. And then some of it depends on his role on the roster and game day and et cetera and playing the course of 17 games and all that. And then Saylors, I mean, I love Saylors. I loved him a year ago. He came in and really helped us out on special teams. And I thought he played very, very well for us on teams a year ago. And then to see him go out there and play like that on offense, I was super happy for him in the last preseason game because to me, he is a deserving kid of that attention. He really has gone under the radar but has been a very good player for us on special teams last year. So, I’m encouraged with that for him.”
On if he can use Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs as a return man: “Yeah, I don’t know. When you put the ball in his hands, a lot happens though, I know that.”
On how he has seen Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein grow on special teams: “Yeah, he does a great job. I mean, the one thing about Ahmed is he goes out there and he works his tail off. He’s going to fight and compete, and you love that about him. He’s tough as heck, he’s very, very competitive, he takes everything personal. But one thing that is a challenge for him on special teams, a lot of our plays are wide open space plays. When you’re playing defensive line, you’re in a tighter confined box. We’ve utilized some players like that in the past on kickoff coverage here, so maybe that’s an area he can help us out. But really when you’re talking like punt, punt return, it’s going to be difficult. And then can he match up a guy on kickoff return? Defenders are used to getting away from blocks, not blocking as much. So, some guys are better at that than others and he’s definitely worked at it for us. So those types of players to me are more luxury-type players. If he’s available on game day and he made the roster and he’s on the team and he’s playing and the defense wants him, could I find a role for him that would help elevate the players around him and make him one of the best 11 guys to be on the field on any given play? Then yeah, that’s to me like a luxury. Those other linebackers, man, those guys have got to play, you just don’t have any other bodies. So certain positions are kind of are more valuable to me than others. I would consider that one a luxury but love what he does.”
On the trickle-down effect Lions WR Jameson Williams brings: “Yeah, I mean, Jamo’s awesome, you guys know I’ve always loved him. I love the fact that he played gunner. You guys gave me hell because we were going to play him as a gunner. But no, I love him. He loves the game of football, and I would say that’s probably the biggest thing. You’re looking for guys who can stand out or make an impact or jump off the film and do it. The only way I could relate it to you in this offseason, or actually not too long ago, Chris Stapleton played a concert in Ford Field. So, I went to the concert and there’s all these people leading up to it. The first guy, I don’t know what his name, something Allen or Allen Stone or something like that was incredible. Chris Stapleton, obviously when you hear the guy sing live, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, he just jumps off the stage.’ Lainey Wilson, I’m a huge Lainey Wilson fan. I think she’s incredible and I love her story. I feel like she’s just one of those people who made it on her own. And then I’m watching the Lainey Wilson show though, and there was somebody who comes up and this lady was jamming on this guitar. And I’m like, ‘Damn, who is that?’ And then all of a sudden, she’s playing the electric violin in front of everybody, and this person jumped off the stage the way she was playing that instrument with the passion and energy. And I’m like, ‘Damn, I mean, she’s got it. I mean, she has definitely got it.’ So, I looked up her name, her name was Sav Madigan, she’s from Traverse City, Michigan. And I’m like, ‘Dude, she’s got it.’ And really that’s what you’re looking for in a player. So, like Jamo, he’s got it, man. (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, he’s got it. You put the ball in their hand, it jumps off the film, you see it. And that’s what you’re looking for in players, man. This time of year, who can jump off the film and make you go, ‘Gosh darn it, I got to look that person up. Who are they?’ I want them on this roster.”
On who has jumped off the film on special teams: “So (Lions WR) Tay Martin’s jumped off the film every day. A bunch of these guys, (Lions LB Erick) Hunter’s jumped off the film doing something good, (Lions LB Joe) Bachie’s played some good football, all these guys I’ve mentioned. (Lions LB Troy) Reeder’s done some good things. And that’s why I say it’s a very competitive situation here. But yeah, it’s a good question, I can’t give it all away.”
