Aaron Glenn: 'We Want to Make You Fear Us'

Detroit Lions' Aaron Glenn appeared on "The Adam Schefter Podcast".

Leading into training camp ahead of the 2022 season, the Detroit Lions have a rare form of optimism.

With a favorable schedule and a retooled roster, many pundits are pondering whether or not the Lions are a true playoff contender. This is a change from years past, where Detroit was always penciled in at the bottom of the NFC North.

A big piece of those who favor the Lions, ahead of the season, do so because of the culture within team headquarters. Lions head coach Dan Campbell has installed a belief in his coaches and players that hasn’t been felt around Allen Park in some time.

Among those coaches is defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was courted for head coaching jobs across the league throughout the offseason. He joined "The Adam Schefter Podcast" to discuss all things Lions and his career.

Speaking candidly, the coach said making the playoffs would be a fabulous achievement and would be ultra meaningful for the city of Detroit.

“The one thing that we’re gonna do is we’re gonna keep chopping wood,” Glenn said. “Whatever’s been said, that’s all good. We do know this, when we do get (to the playoffs), it’s gonna be one hell of a story.”

Expectations for 2022 season 

Glenn and the coaching staff have had detailed discussions in the offseason to try and implement changes on the defensive side. The unit struggled in 2021, and ranked near the bottom of the league in several categories.

However, the 50-year-old coordinator is hoping that will change in his second season. He mentioned building the ability to disrupt and attack from the defensive side, as areas where he wants his team to improve.

“The rules have it, now, you have that five-yard area where you’re able to disrupt,” Glenn said. “You have to utilize that. A lot of teams in this league aren’t utilizing that. It’s because of the way the rules are, and because of the way the offenses now are getting in these formations that are not gonna allow you to get there. You still have to utilize the ability to disrupt receivers coming off the line of scrimmage.”

Glenn added that the defense plans to be more physical heading into 2022, with an emphasis on attacking.

“We want to make you fear us,” Glenn said. “We’re not saying we’re going out there trying to hurt anybody, but we want to bring old-school football back. We want to pound you, we want to play with violence and we want to make sure we attack the football and play fast.

“Our advantage is we make sure we knock the hell out of them and that they know that. They know that every time the ball is run or thrown, we’re trying to knock the hell out of you.”

Coaching philosophy inspired from time as a player

Glenn interviewed for head coaching positions with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints during the offseason. Though both teams elected to pass, the interest showed how highly he is thought of within league circles.

Schefter mentioned that he had a conversation with a source in the Broncos’ front office during the team’s general manager search. This source claimed that the team wanted to take a deeper look at Glenn for its head coaching position and was ultimately impressed.

“I would say this, first and foremost, I think my personality oozes out, as far as a person and as a coach,” Glenn remarked. “A lot of that comes from my background as a player. I think that the one thing that we, here in Detroit, we talk about quite a bit is having grit. That’s who I am as a person. That’s who I am as a coach. That’s who I was as a player. I was never the biggest guy, I was never the strongest guy. But, the one thing I knew I had to be able to do better than you was to be able to, my heart had to be a lot bigger than yours.

“To me, that’s what I’m all about. I take that right to coaching with the players and understand that. I want the players to see how hard I work. I want the players to understand, man, this game is a lot bigger than guys running 4.4, guys running 4.3. This game is about how many plays can I beat you." 

The Lions defensive coordinator mentioned that his philosophy ties in with “playing with violence.” He wants his players to play hard and with full effort, which can lead to the best results, regardless of size or stature.

The former safety admitted that his grit and heart comes from being undersized and playing at the highest level. He hopes that by leading by example, he can inspire his players.

“I think the players understand, they see that,” Glenn said. “Nothing fake about the way that I operate. I think that’s the one thing that players know, they know a fake when they see one. I know they can all tell you, ‘Coach Glenn’s not fake, he’s gonna give you everything that he’s got. That’s just who he is.’”

Early impressions of Hutchinson and Okudah

Two players on the defensive side coming into training camp with plenty of eyes on them are Aidan Hutchinson and Jeff Okudah.

With both having been top picks in their respective drafts, each comes into the season with varying expectations. Hutchinson is projected as an instant contributor going into his rookie year, while Okudah is looking to reclaim the magic that made him a top choice at cornerback in 2020.

Glenn spoke to Schefter about both, saying he’s been impressed by what he’s seen.

“We knew that he was gonna be a good player coming out of Michigan, everybody saw that,” Glenn stated regarding Hutchinson. “But, man, he is just a way better athlete than we probably all gave him credit for. His ability to move around the defensive line was pretty outstanding. We played him inside, we played him outside. We want to utilize that.”

Okudah is coming off an Achilles' injury that ended his 2021 season in the opening game. Some wonder, as he heads into his third season, if he can get to the level that would justify his third overall selection.

Glenn, meanwhile, believes there’s plenty of talent to unlock in the third-year cornerback.

“This guy had a really, really good training camp (in 2021),” Glenn said. “Now, we was with him that year. Obviously, we knew about him when he was coming out of the draft. We thought he was a pretty good player. We have to get this injury bug off him, so he can end up playing for us (and) so we can see exactly what we’ve got. We think we know what we’ve got, but we have to be able to see it. I give this player credit for busting his ass in the offseason and trying to get exactly where he needs to get, so he can end up playing for us.”