Lions head coach Dan Campbell channelled Public Enemy during his first press conference of training camp this weekend.
Campbell told his players not to believe the hype as they head into the 2023 season because they have to earn the kind of respect that has been paid to the team since they wrapped up a 9-8 season in 2022. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is on board with his head coach.
Hutchinson had a strong rookie season and is positioned for even bigger things this year, but he said that neither he nor anyone else on the team is going to buy into the outside noise surrounding the team.
“It’s kind of hard not to see it,” Hutchinson said, via the team’s website. “You see it. I think it’s smart . . . a lot of our guys stay off it. It can get to your head a little bit. We keep that underdog mentality. We haven’t won anything yet. There are a lot of expectations. We still feel like the underdog.”
Any growth Hutchinson displays after getting a year of NFL experience under his belt will be a big boost to the Lions’ hopes of living up to their advance billing.
