The Lions held a scrimmage-style practice Friday but it was a piece of clothing that made headlines for the day.
Head coach Dan Campbell sported a shirt with the word “salty” on it. One would certainly wonder why he wear such a shirt and what it actually means. Fortunately, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated found out exactly what it meant.
Breer was at Lions camp Friday and shared notes from his visit in his latest article. Among them was the multiple meanings of Campbell’s shirt.
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Campbell was wearing a shirt that said “Salty” at practice Friday. He explained to me it has two meanings. The first one is obvious: He wants a team that plays that way, with a real hard edge, which everyone knows. The second is less apparent. He wants guys to be “salt of the earth.” It’s important for him as he tries to keep his team grounded after last year’s success, something that’s actually been relatively easy because he has a lot of guys who are, yes, salt of the earth. In fact, the work of three guys who just got paid—St. Brown, Jared Goff and Penei Sewell—came up with folks I talked to, which is a good sign that all the praise and hype the Lions have received won’t change them.
Both meanings make plenty of sense. At this point, everyone knows about Campbell’s aggressive style and wanting to bite kneecaps. The second meaning also works. Campbell doesn’t want his team getting too big-headed following last season’s success. Yes, it was a great run, but what everyone will remember is them blowing a 17-point lead in the NFC Championship. If anyone can keep his team level-headed entering a season full of expectations, it’s Campbell.