Ever since Dan Campbell took over as head coach of the Detroit Lions, he has made it pretty clear that he wants to coach players who love the game of football.
Well, earlier this week, Campbell spoke to reporters and he shared an eye-opening story that has a lot of people talking about what his view means in terms of the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft and potentially selecting EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 2 overall pick.
From Detroit News:
“Story short, let me say this: I don’t care about the off-field. Like, does he love football? That’s all I care about. Ultimately, I think that’s all we care about is, man, if this guy loves football then we can handle anything else. So I’m not concerned with things off the field when you know a guy loves football.”
“I remember I had a guy in Miami — God, he loved ball,” Campbell said. “He was a dynamic football player, but he came in every day just reeking of alcohol. He was probably on a bender for who knows how long, but God he loved football. He showed up, he didn’t have M.A.'s (missed assignments), he hustled non-stop, and it’s like, you know what? You’ll find a way to make that guy work. Not saying we want those guys, but he loved ball, and he had success. And he’s still playing today, by the way.”
There has been plenty of talk about Thibodeaux and some of the issues he has, including taking plays off and not always giving 100% while he is on the field. He also left Lucas Oil Stadium in the middle of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine while the other prospects stayed to work out.
Are those qualities of a player who “loves football?”
Personally, I would not take Thibodeaux with the No. 2 overall pick but if Campbell and Brad Holmes determine that he absolutely “loves football,” then he will likely be the pick.
Nation, would you select Thibodeaux with the No. 2 overall pick?
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