By any standard, the 2024 season is shaping up to be one of the best in Detroit Lions history. The team is 7-1 through Week 9, following a dominant, rain-soaked win over the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday.

The Lions matched a franchise record with 12 wins last year under head coach Dan Campbell, marking their first trip to the NFC Championship since 1994. Thanks in large part to Campbell’s leadership and the team’s talent, the Lions are strong contenders to return to the conference final and potentially make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

If that happens, Campbell will earn a great deal of credit. Known for his tough-guy persona, he has also shown deep care for his players as individuals.

Fox Sports veteran sideline reporter Erin Andrews, speaking on the “Calm Down” podcast with Charissa Thompson, highlighted Campbell’s leadership, noting the emotional bond he shares with his players.

“Dan Campbell, for those of you who don’t know, is incredibly passionate,” Andrews said (at 20:55 of the podcast). “He’s not messing around. He’s a man’s man. He played in the NFL, got his coaching start under Sean Payton, and you can feel how committed he is to these players—like a general leading his troops. He’d do anything for them.”

However, it was a remark from quarterback Jared Goff that unexpectedly moved Campbell. Goff, who joined the Lions in 2021 from the Rams, praised Campbell’s leadership.

“On this occasion,” Andrews recalled, “I told Campbell, ‘Jared Goff said you’re the best leader he’s ever known.’ The comment clearly affected him, and he got emotional because you could see how much he cares. It was genuinely touching.”

Andrews concluded, “I walked away from that interview thinking, ‘How could you not want to play for a guy like that?’”