The Detroit Lions have had great success in the past 3-4 years, and Dan Campbell has been a major part of it.

He has built quite a reputation among the NFL athletes and is now attracting players to the Motor City. They have signed unrestricted free agent CB Roger McCreary.

In his first press conference as a Lion on Monday, the reporters asked him what motivated him to join the Lions. McCreary admitted that Campbell was a major driving force. He said:

"Dan…the type of coach he is…I would love to be coached by a person like that cuz he played the game, he knows the game and I feel like that's the best experience being coached by somebody who been through it," he said.

Campbell had a decent career as a player. The New York Giants drafted him in the 3rd round (79th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.

He even played in the Super Bowl XXXV, unfortunately in a losing effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Campbell had 43 catches for 369 yards and 5 TDs in 60 games for the Giants.

Then he moved to the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.

And after 25 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns in 35 games for the Cowboys, Dan Campbell joined the Lions via free agency in 2006. He had the best season of his career with 21 catches for 308 yards and 4 touchdowns in 16 games in 2006.

Then in 2009, he joined the New Orleans Saints before ultimately hanging up the boots in 2011. Having played in the NFL for a decade, the Lions head coach understands the game and knows how players feel. He recognizes the challenges they face, and that is what brought McCreary to the Lions.

And it's not just him who likes that. "I think when you have a head coach who had played and the way that he played, too, was very gritty, kind of a nasty player but was beloved by all his teammates, I think it’s really easy to play for guys like that,” George Kittle said of Campbell.

New Signing Roger McCreary Talked About His Role Under Dan Campbell

At the press conference, reporters also asked Roger McCreary about his football outlook with the Detroit Lions. They wanted to know whether the CB sees himself in the nickel role or in a more versatile role. He said:

"I would say it's more versatile than that. I would say, anything that's opportunity is there, anything, any position they need me at. I know I play a lot of nickel corner every day now and then but I feel like no matter what they might, I can play either position. That's the mindset I'm going into."

In the 2025 season, McCreary played 345 total defensive snaps, including 106 run-defense snaps, 15 pass-rush snaps, and 224 coverage snaps. He recorded 23 solo tackles, 14 assists, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 11 stops.

What do you think about him coming to the Detroit Lions in the 2026 season?

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Kalp Thaker