SPORTS Lions’ owner Sheila Hamp took a big chance, coach Dan Campbell relishing proving her right
, Mich. – Much has understandably been made of what the Lions’ success has meant to the city of Detroit. Head coach Dan Campbell vowed on his first day on the job to do his best to bring a winner built in a blue-collar image that mirrored the fan base it played for – and he has delivered on that, with the Lions on the cusp of the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. But in doing so, Campbell has also delivered for owner Sheila Hamp, who took a chance on the rough-around-the-edges coach who had been fighting for years to get a head job after a promising interim stint in Miami six years earlier. And while credit for the Lions’ rise belongs to many contributors within the organization, from leadership to the roster, Campbell has taken special satisfaction in proving Hamp correct with her decision to pick him to lead the team. “It means a lot,” Campbell said. “I always wanted to do that. I always wanted to prove her right. That’s not an easy thing to do, to take a chance on somebody that nobody knows about or thinks deserves a shot or whatever it is. And so, to trust your instincts and trust people around you and to pull the trigger, it means a lot. It sure does.” Campbell’s personality, seen locally daily, but showcased on a national stage through the team’s appearance on the HBO documentary series “Hard Knocks,” has been a large part of what’s made the franchise and its success so endearing. It’s even led to some jokes that they’re the new “America’s Team,” snatching the title away from the Dallas Cowboys. And the TV ratings for the playoffs suggest the jest isn’t wildly off from the truth. “That’s not my crown to take,” Campbell said. “That’s for somebody else to say whether we are or aren’t. … just our environment, our culture, the coaches, the players, I think we have a lot of people that respect football and try to stay true to it. And hard work, discipline, all the things that I think most people can resonate with. And so, I think that’s probably why we’re somewhat attractive. And then we’re winning, obviously, that helps everything.”
Hamp assumed ownership of the franchise when her mother, Martha Firestone Ford, stepped down during the 2020 offseason. A few months later, Hamp made her first major move, firing general manager Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, setting the franchise on a different course. Her first significant hire was bringing back one of the team’s all-time greats, Chris Spielman, as a direct advisor. They worked together, in conjunction with team president Rod Wood and Chief Operating Officer Mike Disner to identify both Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes as the team’s next football leaders. Those hires were made separately, but with a vision of complete collaboration set forth by Hamp. “Once you know her and once I know her, it doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Campbell continued. “She’s one of one. She’s unique, and I’ll say this, everything that we kind of are and what we’re about has started with her. It’s really her; it’s her vision. Like I’m fortunate she allows me to be myself. I don’t feel like I have to be somebody I’m not, and you can’t always do that. You can’t – and so with that, I can coach. I can do what I need to do, and I appreciate that. So, she took a chance on me and yeah, it feels good to prove her right. But, we’re not done either.
