The men who play for Campbell do not deny the truth in his reputation. But they also absorb the substance beneath his persona. Campbell’s defining trait may be that he cannot help being his genuine self at all times. “What you see when he’s interacting with the media, people are like, ‘Oh, he said this — ha ha, so funny,’ ” Lions left tackle Taylor Decker said. “But that’s genuinely how he is. That’s how he talks. That’s how he acts.”

Campbell has turned around the Lions with overlooked football intellect, unwavering authenticity and profound belief in himself. His 10 years of NFL playing experience allow him to relate to players. His consistency allows him to maintain authority.

“He creates that feeling that he’s a teammate of yours,” defensive lineman John Cominsky said. “You know he’s the coach, but he’s like that fiery teammate. He makes everybody buy in because everybody wants to kill for that guy and play for that guy and get wins for that guy.”