‘It’s a hostile environment’: Lions coach recalls gross incident in Philly during his playing days
Campbell played at Veterans Stadium in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he was a tight end for the Giants.
The Eagles will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and head coach Dan Campbell has fond memories of Philly during his playing days.
Speaking Tuesday on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, Campbell called Philadelphia “electric” and “a great place to play,” recalling the hostile atmosphere he faced at Veterans Stadium during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he was a tight end for the New York Giants.
“Had batteries thrown at us, spit on, it’s just the classic stuff. It’s probably the most hostile place to play,” said Campbell, who also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Lions during his 10-season career. “Going into the stadium, leaving it, during the game. Things have backed off a lot now since back in the day, like some of these things you can’t do anymore.”
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Campbell recalled an incident that happened during his rookie season in 1999. In overtime, Hall of Famer Michael Strahan intercepted a deflected pass from Doug Pederson and ran it back for a touchdown, ending the game. But what happened next that stuck with Campbell.
“We all go back there to meet him [in the end zone], and I just see this — it was like a 64-ounce cup this guy had that was full of tobacco spit … [and] he pours it on Strahan’s back while everybody is running over there,” Campbell said. “I backed off at the last minute.”
The last time the Lions traveled to Philly to face the Eagles was in 2019, a rare win for Detroit during an unsuccessful era for Matt Patricia, who went 13-29-1 during his three-year stint as head coach. Campbell replaced him in 2021 and is looking forward to facing the Birds at Lincoln Financial Field under the lights on Sunday Night Football.
“Man, it’s a hostile environment. It gets you fired up,” Campbell said. “I’ll make sure our guys are prepared. They’re going to love this. Our guys are going to freaking embrace this. This is fun stuff, man.”
Campbell said his goal is to give his players a good snapshot of the environment at the Linc in a game that could have huge playoff implications, with seven teams bunched atop the NFC standings.
“This is a heavyweight match, and one misstep can cost you this game,” Campbell said. “Now, that shouldn’t make you tight; that shouldn’t make you play conservative. Just understand it’s going to take all three units and every play, man, you’ve got to give it your full attention and lay it on the freakin’ line.”
» READ MORE: Week 11 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles take top spot at ESPN but fall elsewhere despite win
NFC Standings
The Eagles remain in first place in the NFC after defeating the Green Bay Packers Monday night.
The Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks are 7-2, but the Birds hold the tiebreaker with a better conference record.
There are seven NFC teams with at least six wins, and the Eagles play two of them over the next three weeks — the Lions on Sunday and the Chicago Bears on Nov. 28.
NFC Standings
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