The Detroit Lions are currently in the midst of an offseason transformation, both on and off the field. And one of the several new faces that will be patrolling the sidelines in 2021 is Aubrey Pleasant, who was hired as Detroit's pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach this past January.
And it will be his responsibility make sure that things in his department are running smoothly.
“Anything that comes in the air, I need to make sure I take care of it,” Pleasant said. “Anything that seeps out in the run game, I've got to make sure I take care of it. The pass rush actually falls in someone else's category, but I will make sure to give them all the love that I possibly can to help us in the back end.”
It was an easy decision for Pleasant to decide to be a part of Dan Campbell's staff in the Motor City, and said that he took a hard look at the players on the roster itself rather than statistical wins and losses.
“When I went through the process of actually looking at this job, I took a look at the roster,” Pleasant said. “I didn't pay attention to statistics or wins or losses, but I saw a group of very young, talented players that had a high ceiling and an ability to improve and kind of move forward. That's just what I feel about this group. We have a lot of different guys that have different skill sets. I think they're all very versatile and I look forward to working with all of them.”
“I'd like to say first that I really believe all great players want to be coached hard and none of them want to be coached the same way,” Pleasant said. “I think all three of those personalities are completely different, and I think you all know that.
Of course, Pleasant comes to Detroit having already coached several of the top players at their respective positions, including the likes of Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters.
“I think they also made me be my best every day,” Pleasant continued. “When you're sitting there looking at future Hall of Fame players, you want to make sure you're giving them the best foot forward for competition, meaning game plan and preparation for an opportunity to make plays. I think those experiences in L.A. have forever changed me as a position coach as I move forward in my career.”
– – Quotes via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News Link – –
