Dan Campbell’s Most Memorable Quotes as Lions Coach: ‘Bite a Kneecap Off’

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is usually a lock to provide a memorable soundbite whenever he’s near a microphone. That was no different right before kickoff at Lambeau Field ahead of the final game of the 2022 regular season.

The Lions had already been eliminated from playoff contention before playing the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 a season ago. Green Bay still had a postseason spot in its sights. But it wouldn’t for long. Campbell, in an NBC interview on the field moments before the game started, had a clear message for fans at home.

“We don’t want them to go [to the playoffs],” Campbell said. “That’s our motivation.”

Campbell and the Lions upset the Packers, 20-16, eliminating them from the playoffs in what turned out to be Aaron Rodgers’ final game with Green Bay.

Detroit’s latest test this season comes, once again, at Lambeau against the Packers in Week 4’s Thursday Night Football matchup. The game between the 2-1 NFC North rivals kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET. Before the teams take the field, here’s a look at some of the most memorable moments from Detroit’s caffeine-fueled coach—from biting kneecaps to toilet paper lessons.

Campbell’s Kneecap Speech

Campbell’s introductory press conference provided an early look at his personality.

The Lions had won just 14 games combined in the three seasons prior to Campbell taking over as head coach. Detroit hadn’t made the playoffs since 2017. Campbell knew the challenge ahead of him when he took the job. And in his first appearance representing the Lions, he laid out what the franchise was going to do to change its public perception.

“We’re gonna kick you in the teeth, and when you punch us back, we’re gonna smile at you, and when you knock us down, we’re going to get up, and on the way, we’re going to bite a kneecap off,” Campbell said in 2021.

“We’re going to stand up, and it’s going to take two more shots to knock us down. And on the way up, we’re going to take your other kneecap, and we’re going to get up, and it’s gonna take three shots to get us down. And when we do, we’re gonna take another hunk out of you.”

Campbell’s approach seems to have caught on.

The Lions finished 9-8 last season despite a 1-6 start. And the winning ways have continued in year No. 3 under Campbell in Detroit. The Lions entered the 2023 season as NFC North favorites. They backed that up with a win over the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 and are 2-1 through three weeks.

Thankfully, no kneecaps were harmed along the way (that we know of).

Treating Lions Players Like Men

Lions players under Campbell clearly hold themselves accountable. The 47-year-old former tight end said as much during his first season in Detroit. Though he was a bit more colorful in his description.

“I told them, honestly, Day 1, I said, ‘Look, I’m not carrying your toilet paper around. I’m not gonna wipe your butt,” Campbell said, via columnist Michael Silver. “You’re gonna wipe your own butt. You handle it and I’ll treat you like men until you prove otherwise.”

An Incredible Coffee Order

Any Starbucks employee who has taken Campbell’s order will surely never forget it.

Campbell loves his coffee, mostly the caffeine part. On a regular basis, the coach will enter the Lions’ facility in the morning with two large coffees containing multiple espresso shots. Campbell described the routine in 2021 as the reporters in attendance sat in disbelief.

“That’s what I come in with,” Campbell said of his order, amid laughter. “That’s how I start the day.”

Lions Had ‘No Turds’ in Year 1

The Lions went 3-13-1 in 2021, Campbell’s first year on the job.

Going into the season, Detroit was right in the middle of a roster overhaul, and Campbell was still establishing his culture and attitude in the organization. But he often defended his team. And he did so in a very on-brand manner.

“I said this when I walked in,” Campbell said in 2021, via USA Today. “There was a number of guys that were here and I think [the former regime] did a great job. There’s no turds here. There’s no bad guys. Like these guys work now. We don’t have guys, ‘Ah, I’m lazy.’ We don’t really have those guys, and that’s a good thing. That’s not always the case when you walk in and it hasn’t been a successful program.”

Campbell Surprised by Lions Play Call

Even someone as intense as Campbell can have their mind drift off for a moment. That was evident in the Lions’ 34-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings last season.

Campbell said on The Pat McAfee Show last year that he was distracted watching Lions fans do the wave late in the game. And he was so focused that he didn’t hear exactly what offensive coordinator Ben Johnson asked him regarding a third-down play call. Campbell just responded, “Yeah, that’s fine.” It turns out, Johnson asked about calling a play in which 6-foot-5, 335-pound offensive tackle Penei Sewell would be the intended receiver.

“I look up and we’re throwing to Penei and I was like, ‘what the f*** are we doing?” Campbell said to McAfee. Sewell caught the pass, the Lions won, and as Campbell would go on to say, “It worked out great.”