Getty Head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions have been named a logical landing spot for a former Top 10 draft pick.
As training camp opened on July 23, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell channeled Public Enemy to deliver a message to his players — don’t believe the hype.
The Lions have become a popular pick to win the NFC North and a darkhorse Super Bowl candidate among many insiders, but the team’s head coach said the team needs to focus on earning whatever status they achieve this season.
Campbell warned that the hype around the team could become a distraction if they don’t keep that focus.
“I think as always, the thing that’s gonna worry you is the hype train,” Campbell told reporters on the first day of training camp, via ESPN. “I mean, as with most coaches, this thing is just taking off and it’s out of control right now and that’s fine, as long as we stay focused on the job at hand and the work. I just keep going back to that. We’ve got to put the work in and earn it.”
Lions Now ‘Consensus Favorites’ in the Division
As the ESPN report noted, the Lions have become the betting favorite to win the NFC North and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The team finished 9-8 last year, just missing out on a Wild Card berth despite a torrid stretch to end the season.
“I think as always the thing that’s gonna worry you is, “the hype-train”… this thing has just taken off and it’s out of control right now.” – Dan Campbell
MCDC is all business and ready to work heading into camp.
🎥: @Lions
Campbell said the high expectations will also bring new pressures, and it will be up to the coaching staff to make sure that players remain consistent through the highs and lows.
“I think you just keep the message consistent, and you call it what it is, and it just goes back to the work,” Campbell said. “And when you see it not going that way or we have some guys that are deviating a little bit, or they think they’ve arrived and they haven’t, you call them out on it.
“I think as long as we do that as coaches and players as teammates, we’ll be fine.”
The message appeared to get through to players, as budding star Aidan Hutchinson echoed his coach’s sentiment when speaking with reporters on Sunday.
“I think we’re doing a good job of keeping our mentality and doing what we’ve been doing … we keep that underdog mentality,” Hutchinson said. “We haven’t won anything yet. Obviously there’s a lot of expecations, but we still feel like the underdog.”
Aidan Hutchinson on #Lions’ preseason hype: “We still feel like the underdogs.”
The Lions have already made some tough decisions in preparing the roster for the upcoming season, parting ways with last year’s kicker, Michael Badgley, and waiving promising running back Greg Bell.
With expectations high in Detroit, some insiders have suggested that few players are safe and the team could make some unexpected roster moves when reaching the final 53-man roster.
Campbell Leading By Example at Camp
Campbell took a hands-on approach with the team on the first day of training camp, participating in drills to lead the team.
A #LionsCamp tradition unlike any other!
Campbell’s participation caught some viral attention, with many sharing the video and some praise for the Lions coach.