Dan Campbell reflects on first interview "out of breath, smashing tables and chairs"

Few teams closed out the 2022 campaign like Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions.

After starting the season with vibes of "the same old Lions" going 1-6 in their first seven games, Campbell's squad found their stride in his second year as a head coach, winning eight of their last ten games to finish 9-8 on the year with a bunch of momentum heading into the 2023 season.

But long before Dan Campbell's Lions became the favorite bets in Vegas to win the NFC, he was a recently retired player looking to get his start in coaching.

On Pardon My Take, Campbell was asked about a legendary tale Brian Daboll shared about their time together in Miami where Campbell interviewed for his first coaching job.

Daboll says that Campbell spent half of that interview out of breath because he was so busy smashing tables and chairs.

Asked about that story, Campbell shared his version of events.

"True I was out of breath. True I used chairs. I don't know if I was smashing chairs into the walls and there were holes everywhere, I think he exaggerated on that."

"But yeah, look, most of it was true."

Campbell goes on to share more details of that experience interviewing to be a part of the late Tony Sparano's staff, and how he felt like he needed to set himself apart because he was so green he wasn't coming in with a coaching packet of any kind.

Hearing Campbell tell this story reminds me of Titans head coach Mike Vrabel's first interview with Urban Meyer at Ohio State, where Vrabel completely bombed the opportunity and Urban called him that night to give him a second crack at it before calling it the worst interview he had ever seen. 

Listen to Campbell's version of his story in the clip.