Analyst praises the genuine leadership style of Lions head coach Dan Campbell

Dan Campbell is as genuine as it gets among NFL head coaches, and an analyst has praised his leadership style.

From the moment he was announced as the Detroit Lions head coach, Dan Campbell has been unapologetically genuine. You don't talk about "biting knee caps" unless you're that, and invite the bits of eye-rolling criticism that came.

When the Lions lost a tight game in his first season, Campbell nearly cried at the postgame podium. Not for himself, but in an expression of hurt for his players and the work they put in only to fall short in that contest.

Among all the NFL head coaches who say little when things are going well and say less than that when things aren't going well, Campbell is a refreshing changeup. Of course, there are times when you may have to read between the lines at bit (see his comments about D'Andre Swift at this year's draft combine, which now feels like foreshadowing to Swift being traded).

But in general there's not much public mystery about what Campbell is thinking, and that surely translates to behind the scenes.

Analyst lauds leadership style of Lions head coach Dan Campbell

On a recent episode of "Total Access", NFL Network's Michael Robinson climbed aboard the Lions' bandwagon for this season. With that, he praised the leadership from Campbell.

"Well, first of all, what we just saw was examples of authentic leadership, like genuine leadership, right? And, I think that’s a big reason you see players go so hard for Dan Campbell,....I mean, he doesn’t feel like management. He doesn’t feel like he’s above you. He feels like he’s one of your teammates. And, I think him and his staff, that’s why they should get so much credit for the turnaround. Not just, you know, for the wins on the field for the Detroit Lions, but definitely that culture and obviously, he’s an ex-player. So, that comes with a lot of street credibility.”"

- Michael Robinson

Campbell is definitely a player's coach, and he has smartly surrounded himself with former NFL players (like he is) on his coaching staff. Being a genuine leader certainly resonates with Robinson, who wasn't an NFL star but had an eight-year career grinding and earning his place as a fullback.