Detroit Lions Coach Dan Campbell Says He Wants to Bring an Actual Lion on a ‘Big A** Chain’ to Practice
It’s not uncommon for a coach to ask the front office for a specific player. But Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is asking ownership for a more unique addition. A pet lion.
“I would love to literally just have a pet lion,” Campbell told PFT Commenter and Dan “Big Cat” Katz from Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take. “Just a legit pet lion. On a chain – a big-ass chain.”
Dan Campbell wants to have a actual pet lion who follows him around this year at the team facilty, and he would feed him arm to it for a superbowl. Football guy @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/6bPjVzdvXG
— PFTCommenter (@PFTCommenter) May 17, 2021
“We literally just walk around the building,” Campbell said of his vision for having a real lion by his side. “On seven-on-seven we’re behind the kicker when he’s kicking. On command you can train him, like if one of your groups isn’t doing well you can take him over to their section and just have him take a dump where they are at and bring him on back.”
“I don’t know if PETA is going to allow that, it’s gonna be hard,” Campbell said, acknowledging that there are challenges beyond getting approval from franchise owner Sheila Ford Hamp.
“We would take great care of it,” Campbell added. “It would be fed well, it would be petted, it would be manicured, I might end up losing an arm because of it. But that would be even better, because it would validate, this is a freakin’, this is a creature now…this thing is from the wild.”
But no, PETA definitely will not allow Campbell to have a real lion on the sideline for a game or practice, which is great news. Because lions are wild animals, not pets.
Campbell has depicted himself as a fierce and violent competitor since being named the Lions head coach earlier this year. During his introductory press conference, Campbell described the intense mentality he wants his team to adapt.
“We’re going to kick you in the teeth,” Campbell said. “And when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us down, we’re going to get up and on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”
Real lions might be better apt for biting kneecaps than football players, but that’s not going to help convince anyone to grant Campbell’s wish.
