Just one look at the Lions HC Dan Campbell and everyone (almost) would get smitten by his looks. 6-foot-5, 265 lbs, he looks like a fighter straight from the gladiator arenas. And his life choices are no different. Imagine sitting in the Ford Field stands, cheering for your team, and you suddenly hear a roar. A real lion on the sidelines while the head coach guides his team. That would be a spectacle. While maximum might get stuck in their seats, the HC calls it “a little extra motivation.” Brace yourselves for one of the wildest ideas that still occupies the HC’s mind.
On the June 13 episode of the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, the host informed the NFL legend Calvin Johnson about Campbell’s idea of keeping a real lion on the sidelines. She even revealed that, “Apparently, Sheila Ford (chairman) has no problem with it.” But Johnson? Ah, the man just brushed aside the idea, saying, “Alright. Well, I’m keeping my b–t in the stands.”
The Lions legend even cautioned about the safety of the fans if that scenario really happens. While admitting that the players would be full of energy, Johnson was also fearful and added, “I’m sure the players would be juiced up. Maybe a little fear creep in, just making sure that thing is secure. But oh man, that I’m sure the guy’s got to be turned up, especially if that thing roars a little bit.” That’s right. It would be interesting to watch, but at the same time, as Adams put it, that will be “absolutely horrifying.”
While Johnson shrugged off the idea as dangerous, the head coach is bullish. For those who don’t remember, the plan is not new. In a 2021 episode of Pardon My Take podcast, Dan Campbell didn’t hold back his mind train. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to do it, but I would love to literally just have a pet lion,” Campbell said with a straight face. “Just a legit pet lion on a big-a– chain and he really is my pet.” If you think he was joking, he kind of was. But also kind of wasn’t. The Lions’ owner is supportive of the idea from the minute she first heard it.
As per reports, they even dabbled with the idea and presented it to the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. The base – existing approvals of real mascots. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? After all, the league has approved a surprising number of live mascots earlier. Be it Rise and Conquer (the Ravens’ real ravens), Swagger Jr. (the Browns’ bullmastiff), Thunder III (the Broncos’ stunning white Arabian horse), and Taima (the Seahawks’ augur hawk) that literally leads the team out of the tunnel. So why not a lion for the Lions?
In American memory, the visuals of Mike Tyson playing with his tigers are still fresh. But the coach took motivation from somewhere else. North Alabama, a Division II program, actually does keep a real lion (Leo III) on campus. So the precedent, while rare, isn’t nonexistent. But for the King of the Jungle in a crowd of 50k+, the plan was off limits. Outrageous is a small word to describe it in words!
Will Dan Campbell be allowed to bring a lion to the NFL?
Following common sense, the league declined to allow Dan Campbell to have a real lion. In a 2023 Pardon My Take podcast, he revealed his feelings about it and said, “I’m not gonna point fingers at Roger (Goodell) on this. I’ll just say the league frowns upon that, let’s just say that.” Let’s be clear, PETA is definitely not allowing this, and the NFL shot it down long ago.
“Sheila, she had no problem with it, but the league apparently frowns on those types of things,” the coach added. Even after four years, in 2025, the idea is still living in the coach’s mind despite picking the hobby of gardening.
The HC even admitted to giving it some piece of his own arm, just to ensure that players give their all. And they do. The Lions are gritty and ferocious on the field. Despite that, playing on the field with an actual beast of nature, which is looking at the players from the sidelines. Ouch! That’s a really weird idea. Nevertheless, Dan Campbell’s lion dream isn’t likely to die soon, no matter how many times the NFL says no.
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