Dan Campbell

Success early in the NFL season depends on making the fewest mistakes, not the most plays

I always believe early in the season, it's not the teams that make the most plays. It's the one that make the least amount of mistakes early in the year. And as you go, then it becomes the teams that make more plays.

55 degrees is the ideal sleeping temperature

On the road. If, if I can get it. I mean, normally the lowest you can get is 55. Right. In a hotel. Right. But I got it at 55. ... man, if I could, I would [go into the forties].

Football is the greatest sport you can possibly play

Don't ever disrespect this game because it is, in my opinion, it's the greatest sport that you can possibly play, man. ... It's a team sport, man. You, there's blood, there's sweat, there's tears. ... Everybody's gotta be going the same way to have success. ... We owe it as players, coaches, anybody that's associated with to give it everything you've got. 'cause it is an unbelievable game.

Hiring highly experienced coaches and former great players like Anthony Lynn and Mark Brunell is a sign of security, not a threat to my job.

As a head coach, that could be a little bit like, oh, crap, man, am I hiring my replacement? Am I hiring somebody that knows more than I do about this position? And I don't look at it that way at all. I look at it as like, man, these guys got experience. Anthony Lynn's done this. He's been in that seat... I think alpha comes with having security.

Penei Sewell was the best overall prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.

We did know that Sewell was one of if not the best prospect in this draft. That's what we really believed... we did not think he would fall to us like that.

I would give up an arm in exchange for a Super Bowl victory in Detroit.

I might end up losing an arm because of it [a pet lion], but that would be even better. [Big Cat: If I said Dan Campbell, you are going to win a Super Bowl in Detroit?] One arm. Yes. There it is.

When trailing by 14 points, you should kick the extra point rather than go for two based on 'manalytics'.

I would rather kick the extra point, and now I'm at the end of the game, and where are we at? Are we worn out? Are we tired? And let's go for two then... I get the whole point of it... but my God, tell me where we're at in the game.

A 'football turd' is someone who has ego problems, doesn't study, and doesn't love the game.

A turd is somebody that's constantly getting in trouble off the field. He does not love football. He's not very smart, doesn't care about studying. He's not a team guy. He's got major ego problems. That's a football turd, man.