Lions coach Dan Campbell: Giants still ‘near and dear to my heart’

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell played tight end for the New York Giants for four seasons after being a third-round pick in 1999. With the Lions in East Rutherford, N.J. this week for two joint practices and a preseason game, Campbell on Monday fondly remembered his ties to the Giants.

“It’s always good to come back,” Campbell said. “I was drafted a Giant and I was here for four years. Some of my best friendships I had and still have are with those people that I played with here, my wife and I both. And then the Mara family will always be special to me. (Former Giants President and Co-Chief Executive Officer) Mr. (Wellington) Mara, God rest his soul, was the best, and (Giants President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director) John Mara, I have a ton of respect for. There’s a ton of people that are still here in the organization that I was with and so they’ll always be near and dear to my heart.”

Daboll the “chameleon”

Campbell, who was on staff with Giants head coach Brian Daboll when both were assistants with the Miami Dolphins, couldn’t help but pick on Daboll about his weight loss.

“He’s a chameleon. This guy’s unbelievable,” Campbell said. “I mean when I was working with him, he was – when he first got the job, he looks about like he does now, and then within about two months, it was – and then, he’s like, ‘You know what, I’m going to cut it back,’ and then all of a sudden, it’s like three months later, he’s back down to – I mean he – it’s unbelievable. If he decides he’s going to do this, he’s going to do this. If he decides, ‘I’m going to let it go, I’m going to let it go,’ and I love that about him. I mean, he’s rare that way.”

Campbell wasn’t kidding around, though, when assessing Daboll’s ability to coach.

“He is one of the smartest football minds I’ve been around,” Campbell said. “You talk about thinking fast, man, he tested us as a staff, and I learned a ton of football around him. He’s continued to grow like any great coach has and he evolved. I mean what he was doing in Buffalo was not what we were doing there. I mean there were similar concepts, but he evolved with what the roster and that quarterback … and that’s what he’s done here and what he will do here. He’s a hell of a coach, he is.”

Giant challenges

What about the Giants can give the Lions problems?

“They’ve got plenty of challenges for us between the receiver position, this D-line – I mean, (Giants DL Dexter) Lawrence (II) is, in my opinion, one of the best that’s in the game right now,” Campbell said. “The edge with (Giants OLB Kayvon) Thibodeaux and (Giants OLB Brian) Burns over there, that’s pretty exciting too.”

On the impact of these practices for rookies, Campbell explained, “It helps and it’s another environment. The intensity goes up, there’s a little bit more pressure because you’re out here with another team, other players, other organization, different fans.” He added that these sessions provide a “different way to evaluate” players.