ALLEN PARK — During Lions offensive staff availability, running backs coach Tashard Choice shook hands with several front-row reporters before his first in-person address since joining Detroit. The gesture reflected the mutual respect he expects — from both players and the media alike.
As part of Detroit’s coaching overhaul, Scottie Montgomery was reassigned to wide receivers coach after Antwaan Randle El’s departure to Chicago — a move that followed the hiring of Tashard Choice as the new running backs coach.
From the first day of rookie minicamp, it was clear why the Lions — along with several college and NFL teams — coveted Choice. He brings a no-nonsense, tough-minded demeanor that stood out immediately. That tone carried into Tuesday, as Choice discussed the state of Detroit’s backfield and what he hopes to add. But first, he credited his predecessor — and now colleague — for laying the foundation.
“First and foremost, just the fact that when you inherit a room that Scott Montgomery has put together as far as the level of consistency, the guys in the room have a standard and expectation to do really well. So it’s sort of easy to get around guys that want to be coached,” Choice said. “And just to be here this short period of time that I’ve been here, to have a chance to do OTAs, get a chance to be in the meeting room with the guys — and I’m familiar with Jah — and having a chance to be around DMo, to see him move, and also Vaki, Craig Reynolds, and (Anthony Tyus) and (Kye Robichaud), it has been cool because the guys want to be coached.
“And for me, coming into a room that you would hear where the guys have to have a standard and the expectation — Scottie has done a hell of a job with them — you have to try to find every single avenue to coach them to get better, because that’s the job that I have to do. It is just a point where the group is so solid, and every little detail, every little knickknack, I’m picking at it. And for them to hear it and not get mad at me, or hear it and not want to listen — but hear it, to be coachable, to actually try to do it, to perform on the football field — has been tremendous."
Among the familiar faces Choice had waiting for him in Detroit was Jahmyr Gibbs, the NFL’s reigning touchdown king and one of his former players at Georgia Tech. Choice had long known Gibbs was special — praising his ability to make defenders miss without even seeing them — and continued to track his growth from afar.
Choice said he watched Gibbs weekly to monitor his growth and football IQ.
“I always tell him he’s one of the smartest running backs I’ve ever coached. He’s just a natural football player,” Choice said. “You tell him something, he understands it, he gets it right down. You don’t have to coach him over and over again on football stuff. It is easy to him.
“So having an opportunity to get around him now, coaching — I’m going to be harder on him even more. Same way I tell ‘em all day zero, he can’t do anything right on the field. But Jahmyr Gibbs, I love. Same thing with David Montgomery. They’re on the football field; they’re the player, not the person. Coaching them to get better when they off the field, try to get used to ‘em as a person to see what makes ‘em go, what makes ‘em tick. A lot of ‘em I understand. John, of course, I have a relationship with. But it’s the same thing with DMo, the same thing with Craig and Vaki, because they got to know that first, I care about them more than the game.
"And if you get players to understand that it is about your actions, not about what you say — it’s about what you do. And so it’s been pretty cool to be around him. But for him, the sky’s the limit. I’m going to push him, I’m going to push him like no other though. I have to."
Choice also reunited with longtime friend Kelvin Sheppard, a bond formed during their NFL playing days with the Bills and Colts.
Because of his connection to both Sheppard and Gibbs, Choice said he kept tabs on Detroit while coaching at Georgia Tech and Texas.
“To see his journey on the coaching when he got into coaching — because he got into coaching after I did — and to see him and have an opportunity to come up here and Coach Campbell give him an opportunity to come up here and coach Detroit. Just watching him, watching him as a linebacker coach, now watching him as a defensive coordinator, you could see his intent. You could see his development as a football coach,” Choice said.
“And me from afar — you love to see that. And so that’s one of the things that draw and drew me in here, because I seen one of my closest friends go from ground zero to see where he’s at right now. It’s the coolest thing alive, man. So I’m excited for him because I know how he’s built and I know what he wants to prove for himself. You know what I mean? I know how good he relates to the players and the coaches and everybody loves Shep Dog.”
That bond also comes with accountability. Choice said they regularly check each other on areas where they can improve professionally — and that honesty has helped push them both forward.
Choice hinted the friendship might pause during training camp.
“Oh, I’m going to talk trash. We don’t like each other. I may fight him. It’s funny — when you’re in them lines, I hate him as a player on the team, but I love him at the same time. You know what I mean?” Choice said.
“So it’s like — but you’ll see, that’s how we are. That’s the pushing part. Because we know when they’re going against him, they’re going to need that. My players are going to want to feed off of me. I’m going to feed off of them, and he’s the same way. So characteristics on how we are with our players are pretty similar."