During the NFL season, or the season in any sport, as coaches, players, writers and reporters do their jobs on a daily basis, sometimes the human element gets lost in the shuffle. If we know anything about Lions head coach Dan Campbell, it's that he's refreshingly human and not the robot some NFL head coaches can be when answering questions from the media.
Campbell naturally got a question about Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during his press conference on Wednesday, and he answered it as a football coach would in terms of the challenge the former league MVP presents as a dual threat.
"He’s extremely dangerous as always. That’s not changing right now, so that focal point will always start with him, especially defensively,”
But then, after a short pause, Campbell added something to close out his response.
"My heart goes out to you, man. God bless you.”
The question came from reporter Bernie Smilovitz, who recently lost his wife. Campbell not only knew that, but he made sure to acknowledge it publicly when he had the chance. Not as pity on Smilovitz, but as a sheer classy gesture.
At roughly the 12-minute mark in the video below, you can see the end of Campbell's response to the question about Jackson and his comment to Smilovitz.
Dan Campbell's gesture to reporter shows perfectly why players respond to him
From his introductory press conference upon being hired by the Lions, all the way to now in postgame locker room speeches, Campbell has been a purveyor of memorable quotes. His comment to Smilovitz will be memorable, for the gesture more than the words.
The reaction to Campbell's gesture toward Smilovitz has been what you'd expect, as a rare moment taken by a coach.
Whatever you think about him as a coach, (and I'd say the reviews are very strong) Dan Campbell is a good man. His players see that every day and you can see it right here. https://t.co/NAsV7lxqUc
— Dan Miller (@DanMillerFox2) October 19, 2023
Dan Campbell is a genuine person who thinks about other people, which is one of the reasons his players respond to him. This is classy. https://t.co/vo3BRQfVFT
— Jason Cole (@JasonCole62) October 19, 2023
Bernie Smilovitz asked Dan Campbell a question about him having nightmares about Lamar Jackson and not only did he give a great answer, but offered condolences to Smilovitz on the passing of his wife.
— Kory E. Woods (@KoryEWoods) October 18, 2023
Class act.
Classy comment by Dan Campbell. Small gestures go a long way. Not many coaches would take the time but I’m sure it meant a lot to the reporter. 👏👏 https://t.co/DhM0bpnECX
— Josh Reed (@4JoshReed) October 19, 2023
It's abundantly clear Lions' players believe in Campbell (and have from the start), and he reaches them on a different level. Being a former player surely helps, but showing a human side doesn't hurt. We know nothing about Campbell is an act, and he showed it again in a unique moment during his press conference on Wednesday.