Dan Campbell Talks 9/11, and Unique Week 1 Preparation Challenges
Dan Campbell shared his personal memories of 9/11 and the unique challenges of preparing for early-season games during his last media session before Sunday’s Week 1 game against the New Orleans Saints.
On 9/11, Campbell was a tight end with the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. The former third-round selection of the 1999 NFL Draft spent his first four years in the NFL playing for New York before signing as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.
Dan Campbell Talks 9/11, and Unique Week 1 Preparation Challenges
When asked about his memories of that fateful September 11th, Campbell said solemnly, “It’s something you never forget. Being up there, it was a little bit of the – you get the worst of humanity, and you get the best all in a matter of minutes, really. And one of the most inspiring things that you could ever witness, be around, is in the middle of a tragedy, especially in New York… And man, everybody just pitches in to help.”
Shaking his head in amazement, he continued, “They just want to help and do whatever it takes. And not just the people there, but people in the country that are sacrificing their time, being away from family, to just go help. And anybody that was up there at that time, to even want to go help, to get into the city after that, that took a lot just to even get up there. So, it definitely pulled our country together, and it was one of those things that you just don’t ever forget. So, a lot of people lost – there was a lot of loss, and those things you don’t forget. And I can’t believe it’s been 25 years.”
A shirt worn during the 25th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Wellington, Florida, on September 11, 2026.
Grid Iron Heroes: Meeting the Heroes of Ground Zero
Later, when Campbell and several of his Giants’ teammates went to ground zero to try and help out, he couldn’t get over the reaction of the first responders, who were so overwhelmed by the Giants’ presence.
Campbell was asked if he appreciated how much their visit meant to those working at ground zero. “Yes, and you don’t understand that. I didn’t understand that. We just wanted to help. We could do nothing. I mean, compared to what they were doing, those guys didn’t sleep, man. Those first responders, I mean, there was no sleep. There were no showers. There was no food. There was no – and the fact that we were able to go when we go just to help wherever we could, we were just trying to, ‘What can we grab? What can we do?’ And they just wanted us to – I think us being there meant a lot to them.”
At a time when everyone was feeling so distraught, overwhelmed, and helpless, a visit from their Super Bowl XXXV winning heroes was a reminder of happier times and a much-needed pick up for those at ground zero. Campbell described their welcoming response.
“And I just remember thinking how humbling that was like, ‘We’re not doing anything, I mean we’re’ – but it did, I think it gave them a little pep and it’s a reminder that you may not think it can be powerful, but just your presence and being around there and letting them know, man, you’re thinking about them and you just want to help them help others, goes a long way. A lot of – you talk about sacrifice. A lot of people sacrificed a lot to help, and that was a tough time.”
Jan 28, 2001; Tampa, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants quarterback (5) Kerry Collins in action against the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Giants 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK
Unique Challenges of Week 1 Preparation
As the conversation shifted to preparations for the last practice session ahead of Sunday’s contest, Campbell was asked about the challenges of preparing for early-season games. He spoke about balancing the need for getting off to a fast start, but encountering the increased risk of players making costly mistakes. Campbell said he was confident that the team was going to play fast and have outstanding energy, but he was also cautious.
“Well, yeah. I mean, you definitely want to start fast, and I think that’s always an emphasis. We do the best that we can to prepare them that way, physically, mentally, emotionally. There’s no secret to it. The team that makes the least amount of mistakes is probably going to win the game. I’m talking about early in the year, game one, game two. Whereas late in the year, it’s about who makes the most plays. But early, it’s about who makes the least amount of mistakes.
Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell on the sidelines in the second half of their game against the Washington Commanders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
It’s a delicate balance. The coaching staff tries to instill discipline, but at the same time, they don’t want to handicap the players and prevent them from making an all-out effort. Campbell reiterated, “So, it’s something we’ve talked about, but you practice that way, you coach that way, but you don’t handcuff your guys. You don’t drive them into fear of cutting it loose either. So, there’s that fine balance, but we’ve just got to play clean football, man. Take care of it.
“Let’s get one or two on defense, and let’s eliminate those discipline penalties, the pre-snap, the post-whistle. Those are unacceptable. We will not, and we cannot have those. There’ll be things that come up in this game just from the nature of the way you play. We’ll live with those, and we’ll coach off of those. But it’s those other things that just deal with the focus of what you do.”
When asked who would be starting at left guard on Sunday, Ben Bartch or Christian Mahogany, Campbell was non-committal, but he said, “I don’t know. It’s a good question. I’m still thinking about that. It’s probably a good chance (Christian) Mahogany starts.”
After a strong training camp and an impressive 2-1 preseason record, the real work begins on Sunday when the Lions take on the Saints in New Orleans. Then we’ll see if this team truly has made the necessary adjustments to improve upon last season’s limitations to become genuine Super Bowl contenders this year.