Munich — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell might not know more than a handful of German words, but his blend of self-deprecating humor, folksy storytelling, and genuine passion for the game of football translated all the same in front of a room of more than 100 credentialed media at FC Bayern Munich’s training ground on Friday afternoon.
Campbell had his opening line queued up before he even settled into his seat at a small table in front of the gathered group of reporters, smiling as he said, “Guten Tag. That’s as good as I can do.”
However, as the Lions prepare for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots — the sixth contest the league has hosted in Germany since expanding its international slate to the country in 2022 — the rest of the Lions, including Campbell, were undeniably a secondary story to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The son of a German mother, St. Brown’s heritage makes him one of, if not the country’s most recognizable and popular NFL player. Minutes ahead of his press conference, the loud, crowded room went eerily quiet, with every camera and phone focused on the door awaiting the receiver’s arrival.
St. Brown put on a show ahead of the show, conducting most of the media session in fluent German, which a local reporter described as “excellent”
What St. Brown did say in English conveyed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to play in a country where he’s hosted a youth camp for years, and one he one day hopes to represent in the Olympics in the recently added sport of flag football.
St. Brown, who is known for creative and thematic on-field celebrations, said he has yet to develop his plan if he gets into the end zone against the Patriots, but he noted it will undoubtedly have a German theme.
As for the rest of the team, St. Brown said he’s felt a little like Google this week, having to provide translations and food recommendations. Quarterback Jared Goff said he picked up a few German phrases from his receiver this week, but none appropriate to repeat in public.
Campbell also tried to learn a few curse words on his own this week, but comically reached for the wrong one in a team meeting. Aiming to tell his team to “spread their wings and fly,” Campbell looked to tack on the German version of the “f” word ahead of wings for humorous emphasis.
Instead, he landed on “scheiße.”
“I like to use a little profanity, so I'm looking up a way to say somewhat maybe the F word in front of wings, spread your — and so I see 'scheiße' is as close as I can get to it,” Campbell said. “So Saint is like, 'shit wings?' So, it didn't go over like I thought it would. But, anyway, he taught me what not to say.”
If it sounds like the day was a little flowery, your perception isn’t wrong. These media sessions were always going to be light on Xs and Os and roster depth.
The NFL is here because it’s working to expand its global footprint and Campbell, St. Brown and the other select captains who answered questions on Friday were effectively serving as ambassadors for the game of football.
Campbell is never is at a loss of words when it comes to describing his love of the game.
“This game gave me a life, OK?” Campbell said. “I was not a superstar. I was not a speed demon. I've got size. I played tight end, so you do a little bit of everything. But, it gave me an opportunity to make a life and do something I absolutely loved with a group of guys, in any given time; 53 who have the same goal and you're all going the same direction, and the blood and the sweat and the tears that it requires to have the same goal.
“…It builds character in your team. It builds character as an individual, and it allows you to overcome anything in life that may come your way,” Campbell said. “And, unfortunately, there are some things that — I tell the team all the time — one day you're going to get hit. You're going to get rocked with something really tough in your life. And I hate to say it, I don't want it to happen, none of us do, but you will, and you're going to have to be the rock. But, you're going to know how to overcome it and you know who you can lean on too, your brothers who have gone through everything you've had to go through here.
“I just think it's special that way and it gives guys an opportunity that may not have all the bells and whistles all wet just because they do all the little things right and they maximize everything that they have and their ability. That's the best way I could do it or say it.”
Campbell also shared with the German media about Detroit’s blue-collar mentality, building a team in that image, and the grittiness it takes to fulfill that vision.
“That's the ability to overcome adversity, that you'll do anything that it takes,” Campbell said. “That has nothing to do with talent or prototype, athletic traits, all those things. It's what's inside of you. And are you a great teammate? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Go a little bit longer than your opponent is, be a little more disciplined than your opponent is for 60 minutes, do the hard stuff?
“I think maybe a better way to put it is if you're a wide receiver in our offense, everybody thinks of the numbers, fantasy football, the 10 catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns,” Campbell continued. “Yes, that is one of your biggest jobs, but you block. You have to block for our runner. You have to do dirty work. You have to go hit safeties and you have got to throw your body around. That's required here. That's part of being — that takes that intestinal fortitude. If you're a corner here, yeah, you’re a cover corner, (but) you have to be able to tackle. You have to be able to tackle a 230 pound back who's coming right at you off the perimeter. That's your job. You have got to get in there and feel it. …That's what our guys are. They're tough. They do the dirty work.”
Unlike a normal week, Sunday’s game felt like it took a backseat during Friday’s press conferences, and no one seemed to mind. But, make no mistake about it, the Lions are no less focused on earning a win than usual.
“Look, it is special,” Campbell said about playing internationally. “I think what's kind of cool is you have got to keep focused on what the game is and what we're trying to do here. Because as great as this experience could be, if we don't win this game, we'll be sick to our stomachs going home. So, we have got to make sure we're totally focused on this opponent and we're ready to go.”
The Lions arrived at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, a day later than the Patriots. One reporter questioned Campbell how confident he was that his team would have enough time to get acclimated to the six-hour time difference.
“Very confident,” Campbell said. “I know today will be the hardest day. And we just had a meeting, I kind of mentioned this. We went from the plane, we have got settled in, (and) about an hour later, we have got into meetings and you're doing a little bit of the head bob. We got up and moved around, and I know that every eight hours here, we're going to begin to acclimate. I know by the time we hit Sunday morning, into that Sunday afternoon game, we're going to be ready to go. So, we will be primed and ready and I feel very good about our plan.”
If goal one, two and three are to beat the Patriots, and serving as ambassadors of the game checks in behind that, Campbell has one more goal before hopping on a plane home.
“Well, you don't come to Germany without get a German beer,” Campbell said. “I know that. So, I will definitely have a beer before I leave, that's for sure. I don't know which one or what, but I'm getting one.”