In the wake of a draining 40-34 win in San Francisco on Monday Night Football, the Detroit Lions locker room was a balance of exhilaration and exhaustion. The postgame scene was nicely captured and aired on ESPN at the end of their Sportscenter broadcast.
The standout moment came, as you might expect, from Lions head coach Dan Campbell. The emotionally charged headman addressed his team in the locker room.
“I’ve got an unbelieveable amount of respect for you guys,” a teary-eyed Campbell told the locker room. “I know–I know what this was. I know what this was.”
Campbell continued as the broadcast jumped ahead.
“And there’s all these arguments about what this game really means, because of next week … I respect the (expletive) out of you guys. We roll the ball out and you guys just compete. I can’t even put it into words, men.”
A clearly emotional Campbell then repeated,
“I love the hell out of you guys. I love the hell out of you guys.”
And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, is what these Detroit Lions are all about.