ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions put all of their love and support behind Brian Branch while the safety served his one-game suspension.
Players and coaches wore his No. 32 jersey for the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he couldn’t. Lions coach Dan Campbell spoke about Branch’s heart, outstanding character and willingness to learn from his mistakes. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said he sees himself in Branch and that he vows to keep working with him. Safeties coach Jim O’Neil called Branch one of his all-time favorite players and people he’s coached.
“It means a lot. I feel like I shot the team in the foot with what I did, and for them to have my back, you know, I love them for that,” Branch said on Tuesday. “And like I said, I go to war for them any day of the week and, yeah, it’s going to be like that until it’s all over.”
O’Neil said he expects to see an even more motivated Branch when he returns to action this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings. Branch said he’ll show that through “relentless effort and aggression.”
When asked about Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold planning for some players and coaches to wear Branch’s jersey against the Buccaneers, Branch said they didn’t have to do that, but that he loves the support. He added, “Those are my brothers.”
“I love them. I think they know this, where I stand with them, as far as I would die out there for them boys,” Branch said. “Play as hard as I can to just help us and do what I got to do to help them. I’ll scratch and claw. I’ll go to war with them.”
Arnold said he felt it was his job to show Branch that the Lions were still with him and to let everybody know he was there in spirit. The second-year cornerback joked that he has a new respect for fans who buy jerseys after fronting the tab, too.
“BB is like a piece of the puzzle. He brings so much to the table,” Arnold said. “And it’s not even what he brings physically. It’s even his mentality. Like, when you out there on the field with him or you get a chance to see it, he’s one of those guys, like I said, when he literally puts on a helmet, he turns into a gladiator.
“So, I mean, just that spirit. And I mean, BB is one of the people where if you walking in the woods, I want BB with me.”
Branch said he couldn’t bring himself to watch the Lions when he was suspended for their win against the Bucs. But when he went back and watched the tape, he felt the makeshift secondary played the best game of the year for the unit. Watching guys like Nick Whiteside, Erick Hallett II, Thomas Harper and Rock Ya-Sin, among others, ball out made him even more eager to return.
Moving forward, Branch vows to toe the line between intense, unrelenting physicality without crossing it like he did in Kansas City. Branch was suspended for striking Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the team’s loss a couple of weeks ago. He called his actions “childish” after the game, and made sure to apologize one more time after returning to practice this week.
“A lot of motivation, I feel like it’s another chip on my shoulder that they just added,” Branch said. “I also want to apologize for that — what I did. That’s something that I don’t condone.
“It will never happen again. But it definitely added another chip to my shoulder.”
Branch said he conferred with “Mr. (Flem Robert) Peacher," the man he boards his dog with in the area, for counseling and his upcoming baptism. He said the suspension didn’t prompt him to get baptized this Wednesday, but that he feels like it’s time to “turn over a new leaf” and be “saved by God” after going through those challenging times.
The 24-year-old knows he needs to remain himself, but how to not let his emotions take over in those tempting moments. It’s all about letting his play do the talking, and to keep it between the whistles.
“Not playing with too much emotion. I feel like I get caught playing with too much emotion, and that brings that out,” Branch said. “And you know, just now, I still play with the fire, but just in between the whistle, and you know, shoot, now we’re going on the playoff run.
“Just got to be smarter, you know. Just got to be smarter in certain situations. They gonna pick at me during the play, or they’re just trying to get me out of my shell to retaliate. But still play with the fire. Just learn how not to retaliate and do that. Just play between the whistle.”
Branch is one of the most versatile, impactful defensive backs in the league. The Lions need him out there, no matter who is in the lineup or not. He’s a standout safety, an elite blitzer and playmaker, and someone who can lift the depth from the nickelback while bringing another edge to the blitz.
“It’s scary. Scary because he’s clearly one of the best players at his position in the league,” O’Neil said about the prospect of seeing a more motivated Branch. “But no, I just. He’s just so much fun to coach just because of how coachable he is and, you know, constantly wanting to get better. Does a great job watching film. Does a great job.
“Does a great job coming to the meeting room with ideas or asking questions. Does a great job with his teammates. Does a great job asking me about my family, you know, stuff like that.”
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