The Detroit Lions hired Dan Campbell to be their new head coach in January of 2021 following a decade-long coaching career with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. Before joining the coaching ranks, Campbell enjoyed an 11-year career as a player in the NFL, including for the Lions at the end of his playing career. Campbell amassed 91 catches for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns over the course of his NFL career.
Dan Campbell’s Playing Career
Dan Campbell played tight end in college at Texas A&M. His college career was a successful one as Campbell was selected as a third-round pick by the New York Giants in 1999. Campbell spent four years with the Giants, contributing to their run to Super Bowl XXXV in 2000.
When his contract with the Giants expired, Campbell left and signed a free-agent deal with another team in the NFC East: the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were then coached by Bill Parcells, a coach whom Campbell has credited numerous times as a significant influence on his own coaching style.
While in Dallas, Campbell mainly played behind Jason Witten but started 30 games over his three-year Cowboy career.
Did Campbell Play for the Lions?
On March 14, 2006, Dan Campbell signed as a free agent with the team he would return to coach 15 years later, the Detroit Lions.
Despite largely being deployed as a blocking tight end, Campbell set his career highs for receiving yards and touchdowns that same year for the Lions. Back-to-back injuries in 2007 and 2008 led to Campbell eventually being released by the team despite his early success in Detroit.
Campbell signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton in 2009 but suffered a torn MCL in training camp and ended up on injured reserve again.
At the time, Payton told NOLA.com, “He’s just battling through that knee, and we weren’t really seeing the progress, and I think he’s frustrated as well, but he has been a pretty special player in my mind and a guy that has really brought some toughness. We’ll see how he does, but that’s where we’re at.”
Campbell’s Coaching Career
Campbell got started as a coach due to his prior aforementioned relationship with Parcells. Parcells was in Miami as their Executive VP of Football Operations and vouched for Campbell to start as a coaching intern for the team in 2010.
Campbell rose up the ranks in Miami as their tight ends coach to eventually taking over as interim head coach in 2015 after the team fired Joe Philbin. Under Campbell, the Dolphins had reliable players at tight end in Anthony Fasano, Charles Clay, and Jordan Cameron. As the interim coach of the Dolphins, Campbell earned a 5-7 record.
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After his stint in Miami, Campbell was once again hired by a former coach in Sean Payton. In 2016, Campbell joined the New Orleans Saints as their assistant head coach and tight ends coach. Campbell remained with the Saints until the Lions hired him as their coach in 2021.
Campbell’s tenure with the Lions has been a promising one for a team that has struggled to reach success since their playoff appearance in 2016. Campbell turned a 3-13 Lions team in 2021 around to a 9-8 season in 2022, and the Lions are a preseason favorite to win the NFC North due to the talented roster Dan Campbell has built.