Don't be late. Don't be overweight. Don't disrespect your teammates or this game.
A simple ruleset from Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell begins this year's Hard Knocks, with the opening monologue setting the tone for the entire episode.
Campbell is a man trying to change a culture for a team that has struggled to find its identity. You can immediately feel his natural energy and his intense passion for the game of football when talking to his players. And when Campbell talks, his players listen. Not out of fear, but out of respect for him.
"There is no light at the end of the tunnel. There is no light," Campbell says, referencing the classic Metallica song No Leaf Clover. "If you're seeing a f------ light at the end of the tunnel, it's a freight train. Just put your head down and go to work. It's about to be fun, man."
And so the fun begins.
When the head coach is participating with you in training camp workouts, you know your coach means business. Campbell's serious about wanting to be close to this team. Heck, he even did 40 up-downs (almost a minute and a half of uninterrupted show time!) alongside his players, and I got a strong sense that he would've participated in the drill regardless of if the cameras were around or not. As I was watching, it felt like he wanted to be out there doing the drills. He's committed to being a coach players want to play for.
Later in the episode, a huge chunk of the Lions' coaching staff is introduced with a common background: a lengthy playing career in the NFL. Makes sense, considering Campbell himself spent a decade in the league as a tight end. The assistant coaches interviewed in the first episode -- Aaron Glenn (defensive coordinator), Kelvin Sheppard (linebackers coach), Antwaan Randle El (wide receivers coach), Hank Fraley (offensive line coach), Duce Staley (assistant head coach/running backs coach) and Mark Brunell (quarterbacks coach) -- boast a collective 72 years of NFL playing experience. On top of that, they have 103 years of training camp experience combined as either a player or coach.
"This city that we're in, they know us as former players," Staley says in reference to the coaching staff. "Our job is for them to know us as coaches that were former players before we leave here."
It gets to be an entirely different experience for the viewer to see how the interactions between the coaches and players unfold, especially when everyone is huddled up together.
Running back Jamaal Williams gives an extremely motivational speech at the end of a practice -- after hearing it, I would gladly run through a brick wall for him. It is about as raw and emotional as it gets, coming from a sixth-year veteran who has seen the highs and lows of the league.
"When you tired, think of last year and think of that f------ record," Williams screams. "Every time I get tired or I say, 'I can't go no more,' I think of that f------ record. That ain't us. We can make it. We gotta believe."
The Lions' record last season was a forgettable one (3-13-1), and the team is ready for a change. There is a strong sense of hope for the Lions this upcoming season, a feeling that was palpable in the first episode. Could it be just the Hard Knocks hype? I think it's a little too soon to tell. The Lions have been starved of sustained success for quite some time, but it seems to me they are headed in the right direction under the leadership of Campbell and the rest of the coaching staff.
If Hard Knocks was trying to sell me something, the show succeeded with its first offering. I'm all in on this journey.
Follow Brendan Walker on Twitter.
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The New York Giants faced off with the host New England Patriots, while the Baltimore Ravens traveled to take on the Tennessee Titans to kick off Week 1 of the preseason.
Tight end Adam Shaheen, who had been traded to the Texans earlier this week, failed his physical in Houston and will be returned to the Dolphins.
The New York Jets have moved quickly to address their offensive line following Mekhi Becton's knee injury, signing veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady missed practice Thursday for personal reasons and will not return to the team until after the Bucs' second preseason game on Aug. 20, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters.
New England Patriots running back James White is retiring after eight NFL seasons. The hero of Super Bowl LI announced Thursday his decision to end his playing career.
Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters Thursday that QB Josh Allen will be among several starters sitting out on Saturday versus the Colts. Find out what other NFL news we're tracking this Thursday.
NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported Thursday that Jones and most starters will not play in the preseason opener versus Giants, per sources informed of the situation.
Christian McCaffrey missed 23 of the Carolina Panthers' past 33 games due to injury. But fear of another season derailed won't stop coach Matt Rhule from saddling up his top back.
N'Keal Harry's fresh start in Chicago is on pause following an ankle injury. NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Thursday that Harry is undergoing tightrope surgery this morning after suffering a high-ankle sprain.
Giants' Brian Daboll will begin his head coaching career against the same team that gave him his NFL start 22 years ago. New York squares off against the New England Patriots tonight, live on NFL Network.
New York Jets pass rusher Carl Lawson is eager to put on the pads again in Friday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles after missing all of 2021 with a torn Achilles.
Taken in the 2020 NFL Draft's first round, Eagles WR Jalen Reagor is now battling for a roster spot. The TCU product admits it's "a humbling experience," but he's "putting my head down and going to work."
You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season!
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