Lions' Dan Campbell Will Treat Players Like 'Men': 'I'm Not Gonna Wipe Your Butt'

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is making a name for himself as a source for great quotes.

Speaking to NFL reporter Michael Silver, Campbell discussed the message he has delivered to Lions players since being hired by the organization in January. 

"I told [the players], honestly, day one, I said, 'Look, I'm not carrying your toilet paper around. I'm not gonna wipe your butt. You're gonna wipe your own butt. You handle it and I'll treat you like men until you prove otherwise,'" Campbell said.

In his introductory press conference Jan. 21, Campbell made one of the most memorable first impressions by an NFL head coach in recent memory.

He said the Lions were "going to take on the identity" of Detroit and elaborated, "When you knock us down, we're going to get up, and on the way up, we're going to bite a kneecap off."

Campbell also mentioned his resemblance to Jeff Bridges' character "The Dude" in the classic Coen brothers movie The Big Lebowski.

While Campbell is great for a colorful quote, he is also giving the Lions the personality and identity that the organization has lacked.

Former head coach Matt Patricia tried to turn the Lions into the New England Patriots of the Midwest. That strategy failed miserably as they went 13-29-1 from 2018 to 2020 before the team fired Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn in November.

Campbell and new general manager Brad Holmes will look to turn the Lions into a consistent playoff contender in the NFC North. Two-time Pro Bowler Jared Goff takes over at quarterback after they acquired him and three draft picks, including 2022 and 2023 first-rounders, from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

Through his first five months on the job, Campbell is making sure the Lions aren't boring.