Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz: I'm Starting to Like This Guy!

Just caught this article from WDFN.

And I gotta say, I am starting to like this guy.

Outside of what is going to be a monumental job in turning the Detroit Lions around, Schwartz also feels an obligation and a responsibility to the City of Detroit.

When was the last time a Detroit Lion head coach said that?

While there have been some detractors, most recently Dan Reeves, about players and coaching living in Michigan, Schwartz was told that he would love it there.  He recounts someone telling him, "Your perception of being an outsider is a lot different than what it's actually like."

I have to agree.  While the job environment forced a move out of Michigan for my wife and I in 1993, we try to get back as often as we can. 

The people are great, the food you can find to eat is endless and of course, Michigan, Detroit in particular, has some of the best, most passionate and knowledgeable sports fans I've ever been associated with.

While many of us can't even fathom that William Clay Ford, Sr. is considered one of the best owners in the NFL, he is attempting to give Schwartz everything he needs to succeed.  If Schwartz fails, it won't be due to a lack of support from Ford.

What really got me liking Schwartz was this statement:

"We have everything we need here to be successful and it's up to us to get that done," said Schwartz. "I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility, not only to the Ford family, but to the city of Detroit. This isn't an opportunity to me, this is a responsibility. We have to get this thing turned around for this city."

There seems to be a sense of commitment from Schwartz that I didn't get from Marinelli or Mariucci and definitely not from Matt Millen.

Yeah, I know, he hasn't won a game yet...hasn't faced any critical decisions with 80,000 fans screaming at the top of their lungs with 15 seconds on the clock and his team is down by four and need a touchdown to win (throw it to CJ!).

But the mere fact that he knows the weight he carries, the knowledge of what it means to the city if the Lions start to win, speaks volumes for his awareness.

I think this will serve him well as head coach of the Detroit Lions.