Tuesday night saw the Lions nation unite around the premiere episode of Hard Knocks. The behind-the-scenes documentary show on HBO was incredibly popular and well-received not just by Detroit fans, but football fans in general.
Head coach Dan Campbell was one of the primary stars of the show, as expected. From his quoting Metallica to his animated on-field demeanor exhorting effort and intensity, Campbell earned a lot of credibility and fans with his “performance”.
But Campbell himself has yet to see the episode. He admitted before Wednesday morning’s practice,
“I did not watch it,” Campbell said. “I have an idea on some of the things that were in there because some of my close friends, roommates in college, they’re crushing me (laughs).”
The head coach doesn’t worry about the public reception of how he appears on the show whatsoever.
“I am who I am,” Campbell said humbly. He repeated that phrase before continuing,
“Look, anytime you do something like this, you’re going to be out there in the public eye. This is a big thing. People are going to gather their own perception of who you are. I’m not changing that.
One way or another, I can’t change that. I’ve got to be myself.”