B/R: Former Cardinals DL Would Make Great Head Coach
ARIZONA -- Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has his one squad just one win away from the Super Bowl, leading a miraculous turnaround in the Motor City that Arizona Cardinals fans would love to replicate in the desert.
Campbell is well known for his tough but lovable coaching style and enthusiasm that stems back to his playing days, which has helped establish a new culture for the Lions.
What he's done for Detroit is sure to be attempted in replication moving forward, and in Bleacher Report's attempt to find the "next" Campbell for current players who could smoothly make the transition, former Cardinals DL Calais Campbell made the cut:
From B/R's Brad Gagnon: "Calais Campbell's career is winding down after 16 years in Arizona, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Atlanta, but the longtime locker room leader established himself as one of the league's most prominent captains during his long tenure with the Cardinals.
"'Just his presence out there, it just commands leadership,' Falcons senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable said of the 37-year-old in August, per Amna Subhan of the team's official website. 'He's such a friendly guy; he's a friendly giant.'
"And in Baltimore, head coach John Harbaugh called Campbell's leadership 'massively valuable.'
"Campbell is extremely knowledgeable—here's a great clip of him talking X's and O's with Brian Baldinger—likable and passionate. He'd make a lot of sense as a coach once he retires as a player."
Campbell would undoubtedly be a great addition to a staff somewhere within the NFL. The former All-Pro and Walter Payton Man of the Year has shown he's quite capable leading a locker room in a player role - and surely his knowledge could help translate into a higher position of prominence.