Across the NFC, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell gave the Philadelphia Eagles‘ former home a shoutout as he reminisced about old hostile environments he played in.
Before he was the head coach of the Lions, Campbell had a playing career in the NFL, which spanned from 1999 to 2009.
He had his fair share of Veterans Stadium experiences, and he recalled them with a smile on Tuesday, September 15.
Dan Campbell Discusses The Vet
“The old Vet with the carpet with holes in the field, the fans throwing batteries and spitting on you, that was pretty hostile,” Campbell told reporters.
“Going into the stadium, hot dogs and beers and everything thrown at your bus, it was pretty good. You know, you miss those days a little bit. Yeah, I wish you could–I was telling my guys about that, and they took us around. We didn’t get to do that anymore. They kind of protect you now.”
The Eagles’ old home has an infamous reputation. While Philly fans still catch a lot of negative attention from the national media, it was on a different level at the Vet.
From The Vet To The Linc
The Vet opened in 1971. That same year, the Eagles called it home, along with a handful of other teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies of the MLB.
In 2001, the Eagles started working on Lincoln Financial Field. For the start of the 2003 NFL season, the Eagles debuted the Linc.
The Eagles went from 65,000 fans at the Vet to hosting over 67,000 fans at the Linc. While there has been plenty of talk about the Eagles potentially moving on from the Linc in the near future, they haven’t revealed any official plans to move on.
When it’s all said and done, the Linc won’t have the same reputation as the Vet. While Lincoln Financial Field remains a tough place to play, Campbell and many others share the same belief about the Vet being one of the toughest stadiums to compete in.