Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows a thing or two about Dan Campbell. There once existed a player-coach relationship between the two. So, Payton knows what Campbell hated as a player.

Payton was part of the Woodward Sports Network podcast, as posted by the channel on X on June 16, where he talked about what Campbell disliked as a player.

"He was a trench blocking tight end," recalled Payton. "Physical, and I am sure he hated this time of the year because everything he did well was not defined in OTAs. And I don't know if (Jeremy) Shockey would have the exact same opinion as Campbell. They were different types of players."

The now Lions head coach played with the New York Giants in 1999 when Payton served as the offensive coordinator. This trend was even followed by the Dallas Cowboys when Campbell joined them back in 2003. Payton had then moved there as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.

Payton stressed that Campbell hated OTAs because they didn't allow him to showcase his skills. OTAs emphasize non‑contact drills, route running, and skill refinement. Naturally, Campbell’s strengths, physical blocking and toughness, weren’t visible in that environment.

On the other hand, his Giants teammate, Jeremy Shockey, did not have such problems, as he was more of a receiving threat, perhaps better suited to showing off his talents in non-contact practices.

Campbell still holds that outlook for OTAs. Back in May, Campbell termed OTAs as a "pajama party" since, to him, they’re not much of a way to evaluate a football player.

“A lot of guys have done really well for two days in pajamas,” Campbell said. “I’m done with the hype of a pajama party in May. We’ll find out in training camp who’s who."

The commitment Campbell showed as a player is now evident in his coaching career, where the demands of leading Detroit have become all-consuming.

Dan Campbell Admits Coaching The Lions Is Consuming

Campbell has now been handling the coaching duties in the NFL for five seasons. The intensity he brought to the field is now used to fuel his players.

Campbell talked about his taxing work to the media ahead of their minicamp practice.

 "I am not perfect about it, this job is consuming," said Campbell,"But I love it, we love it. I am sure most coaches would tell you that it is – it’s addictive and consuming, and that is where you got to be careful."

Dick Vermeil and Urban Meyer have already stressed how fatigued they got training NFL teams.

To counter that exhaustion, Campbell and the other members of the coaching staff went to Petoskey, Michigan, to unwind. Wives and partners were also invited to the trip.

Campbell built his playing career on toughness, physicality and commitment, and those same qualities now shape the culture he has established in Detroit. Time to see whether it finally breaks the Super Bowl drought.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar