Duce Staley Wants Lions’ Running Backs to Bring ‘Juice’ on Football Field

Duce Staley is impressed with the running backs on the Detroit Lions' roster.

Jamal Williams spent the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. Now, he’s transitioning to a division rival with the Lions. So far, he’s been a welcome addition to the team.

“He brings that presence, that leadership that a running back who’s played the game brings,” Staley said. “That’s one of the things. You get out onto the field, and you look at his work ethic. This guy is out there working. He’s staying after, he’s asking questions.”

In addition to his leadership, Williams is also bringing energy to the running backs room, which currently features a pair of young guys in second-year back D’Andre Swift and rookie Jermar Jefferson.

“In our running back room, we talk about juice,” Staley said. “We talk about having juice on the field, and any time you leave the building and go between the lines, things change. So, you have to turn it up a notch. We talk about that, and it’s natural for (Williams).”

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Preparations to become a head coach in the NFL

Duce Staley isn’t taking his new role lightly.

As the running backs coach of the Detroit Lions, Staley handles the responsibilities that every position coach has in the NFL. However, in partnership with head coach Dan Campbell, Staley has seen his role start to increase.

Before the draft, Campbell began assigning scouting reports to Staley. While this is somewhat commonplace, Staley’s role expanded far beyond scouting running backs. Speaking with the media, Staley said he spent time scouting defensive players, as well as special teamers.

“He came to me, and he gave me certain assignments,” Staley said. “Wanted to know what I thought about this guy or that guy. So, I gave him a couple reports.”

Also holding the tag of assistant head coach, Staley is being groomed to be a head coach in the NFL. Campbell, who got the same mentorship from Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints, is passing the baton.

This mentorship looks a lot of different ways, as Staley pointed out.

“Sometimes it’s a simple conversation,” Staley said. “We’ll be getting coffee, and he’ll tell me something that he’s going through right now or he’s trying to fix. That right there is knowledge, and that will help me also.”

Before coming to Detroit, Staley spent the past 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. His first two seasons saw him as the special teams quality control coach, before he transitioned to running backs coach and later assistant head coach.

Staley also ran for 5,785 yards as an NFL running back, which spanned 10 seasons across two teams. First, he played for the Eagles, and then later, he suited up for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He’s fully transitioned into coaching, and is preparing to one day be the leader of a team. It’s something Campbell directly approached him about.

“When someone tells you, ‘Hey this is what we’re gonna do, and this is how we’re gonna do it,’” Staley said. “That’s what we’ve been doing since.”

D’Andre Swift expectations

With Swift, many believe that his second season will be a breakout one. However, Staley isn’t expecting to shoot for the moon. Instead, he simply wants to see growth from the former Georgia Bulldog.

“It’s about growth, that’s the one thing,” Staley said. “And it’s a couple different levels when you talk about growth. You want him to grow in the passing game, and people think as soon as you say that, you’re talking about going out there and running routes. That’s the end of it. The beginning of it is understanding coverages, understanding what defenses are trying to do to you.”

Understanding all the different looks a defense can throw at a running back will be a main focus in Swift’s development.