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Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell got this very important advice from his mentor, Bill Parcells
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- Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell got this very important advice from his mentor, Bill Parcells
Dan Campbell got a two-word text message from one of his coaching mentors after the Detroit Lions ' playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
"He said, 'Congratulations, shoes,'" Campbell said Thursday.
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Shoes?
"Did you watch the game the other night, San Francisco-Green Bay?" Campbell said. "With all the slips, the falls? That's Coach Parcells, classic. He'll always give you some substance."
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers in an NFC divisional game last week in a rain-soaked game at Levi's Stadium.
Lions coach Dan Campbell walks along the sideline before a play during the second half of the Lions' 37-30 win over the Packers on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, at Ford Field.
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Players from both teams had trouble with footing during the game, and the 49ers changed cleats in the first half because of issues with traction.
While Sunday's forecast calls for better weather — the game day high is expected to be around 71 degrees, with a minimal chance of precipitation — Campbell said Parcells' advice "absolutely" carried weight.
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Parcells, who coached Campbell for three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys , declined an interview request from the Free Press this week, saying he's "a little superstitious" and didn't want to start doing interviews now after turning down several requests recently for fear of jinxing the Lions.
Campbell had high praise Thursday for longtime Lions equipment manager Tim O'Neill, whose job it will be Sunday to make sure the Lions have the appropriate footwear and all necessary backup options.
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"He's been a rock star at his job for a long time," Campbell said. "He never complains, he never moans about anything, he never says we don't have this. All that he does, he just wants to help the players, he just wants to be a resource, 'What can I help you with? What can I give you?' Same with the coaches. He just grinds. He just grinds, so he's another guy I'm happy for. He puts in the work and I'm glad we could — it makes all that hard work feel a little bit better cause it's still going to be there, you still got to put in the work, but it makes it worth it."
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Under Campbell, the Lions went 6-3 in road games this season and have won 10 of their last 14 road games overall.
"If you can win on the road that means you can handle adversity, you can handle the ebbs and flows of the game, you don't crack," Campbell said. "You handle pressure well, and so I think that's something that we talk about here, the way we practice, the way we do things, the way camp is, all of that. And I think it serves you well. When you're able to play a certain way on the road and handle a certain amount of pressure, that travels anywhere."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bill Parcells sent this 2-word text message to Dan Campbell this week
