Texas A&M’s Dan Campbell: Can I Have Real Lion on Sidelines?

“I would love to literally just have a pet lion (on the sidelines) … Just a legit pet lion on a chain … and he really is my pet.'' - Aggies Dan Campbell in Detroit.

Dan Campbell was an “original” long before the world discovered him as a colorful character now in charge of "kneecap-biting'' as head coach of the Detroit Lions.

Texas A&M fans know this well, as do fans of the Dallas Cowboys, at which time the 6-5, 265-pound tight end wore his hair long and wore his Texas roots on his sleeve.

He is now a Lion, and (hopefully jokingly) believes it would be appropriate for him to be the owner of an actual lion …  that would join him on the sideline during actual Detroit Lions games.

Campbell is telling the story of his proposed change to the in-game entertainment at Ford Field - a plan that the NFL obviously rejected.

"The league apparently frowns on those types of things," Campbell said on the Pardon My Take podcast. I don't think we're going to be able to do it, but I would love to literally just have a pet lion. Just a legit pet lion on a chain … and he really is my pet.''

Campbell is trying to be funny. (Right?) Well, actually, Campbell is funny and always has been, He made note of the fact that animal rights groups would've likely "frowned'' on the idea as well.

Still, Campbell swears that he would oversee the safety - of the lion, anyway, saying, "Believe me, though, we would take great care of it. It would be fed well, it would be petted, it would be manicured.

Yeah, yeah. But what about the "eating-people'' part, Coach?

"I might end up losing an arm because of it, but that would be even better because it would validate what, this is a freaking, this is a creature now!'' Campbell said, fired up about his tale. "This is an animal. This thing, this is from the wild!''

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