The Detroit Lions have a coach in Matt Patricia that is going the extra mile for his players this offseason, and that continued to be the case as the 2020 season dawns.
Patricia listened to his players and as a result, managed to help facilitate one of the most meaningful responses to a tragedy that sports has seen. As a result of that response, folks are crediting Patricia for his leadership of the team.
On Good Morning Football, Nate Burleson, a former wideout of the team, said he gives Patricia all the credit in the world for being able to unify the squad, listen and help everybody to feel better about their role in the bigger conversation.
The #GMFB crew reacts to the @Lions canceling yesterday’s practice to focus on social justice.
“I’m proud of my team. I’m proud to be a former Detroit Lion. Shout out to Matt Patricia and all the players that stood strong.” — @nateburleson
Burleson said:
“I salute Matt Patricia for walking in and looking at his team and understanding that the moment is much bigger than getting a few reps. I get it, the season is around the corner but real life is right now. Like I said, I am real proud of this team. If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
Support has rolled in for the Lions, from Gil Brandt to others and Patricia is getting a ton of credit for listening and letting his team be forward thinking enough to make a strong positive statement like they did. There’s no doubt this will only endear players to each other and to Patricia more in the grand scheme.
Obviously, the act was bigger than football itself, but it certainly doesn’t hurt Patricia to have everyone pulling the same direction heading into a new season.
Duron Harmon Credits Matt Patricia for Lions Leadership
Harmon thinks that Patricia deserves a ton of credit for the team’s unified and positive response to the ongoing nationwide discussion this offseason as a whole. As he said in a recent interview with DetroitLions.com, Patricia should be praised for his handling of the situation and his allowing for the team to share their viewpoints openly and putting football on the back burner for the time being.
Harmon said:
“I believe we’ve been going a lot deeper than some other teams. Obviously I can’t speak for other teams, I’m just speaking off the experiences we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve had conversations each and every day last week. Matty P did a great job brining attention to the team last Friday. He’s given us an opportunity as black men to express our frustrations and for our white brothers in there, to give an opportunity to learn what we go through. Give them experiences that we went through because some people are oblivious, right wrong or indifferent. It’s been really powerful.”
According to Harmon, the reason the team has been able to have such discussions is Patricia setting the tone at the top and letting the players dictate the conversation and where it goes.
“(It starts) with the leadership of Matty P. We started phase 3 last week but with everything going on, how can you truly focus on football? I think he understood that and we were appreciative of that as a team,” Harmon said. “It’s been great conversations from top to bottom. We’ve been able to grow as a team. At the end of the day, this is a team sport and if you can truly commit to each other and love each other no matter your race, gender, anything, that’s how a team really creates a brotherhood and the wins will come off of that.”
Plenty of Lions have spoken out powerfully following a week of discussions and Patricia himself admitted the events have touched him deeply. That’s led to a situation where the team has come together in a very powerful way.
As Harmon said, what Patricia has done could only bring the team together tighter ahead of the 2020 season. Now that he allowed the team space to make this demonstration, that only might be more of the case.
Dan Orlovsky: Lions Show United Front With Protest
In the aftermath of the team sitting out practice on Tuesday to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky explained that the team’s reaction was something which made him proud to be associated with the team.
Never been more proud to be a part of the @Lions family than I am today
👏👊🏻
The reason the move could be smart for the Lions? Not only from a social standpoint and being on the right side of history, but a team standpoint as well. As Orlovsky explained on ESPN, the team is taking on the look of a squad which is closer than ever and has each others’s backs.
He said:
“The reality is, I can’t or I don’t want to play hard with you or for you as a football player if I don’t know you care about me. I think this is a perfect example of those players caring about each other even though they may not experience it in the same way. You can’t say we will do something and the opportunity presents itself and you don’t. I played for the Lions for 7 years. I’ve never been more proud to be a part of the Lions organization than I am today, so kudos to everyone there.”
Orlovsky’s perspective is important given he was in an NFL locker room for a long time and has a good perspective on what makes teams tick. It will be fascinating to see what happens to the Lions this season and how this camaraderie impacts the season on the field.
As the duo of former Lions explain, it could be very good news for the team.
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Former Lions Player Credits Matt Patricia’s Response to Protest