The Detroit Lions released another video of their mic’d up training camp series this week, and this time it was defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn who was strapped with a wire.
Glenn was one of Detroit’s most praised hires this offseason, and this video highlights why. Right off the bat, we’re treated to a long conversation between Glenn and undrafted rookie AJ Parker—who made the team and is slated to be a starter. Glenn tells the rookie what they’re trying to build, how they’re going to get there, and what’s on the other side
“Practice a certain way,” Glenn tells undrafted rookie. “I’m telling you. We ain’t at the point to where we can just come out here. We’ve got to develop something. That’s what we’re trying to do with this team. We gotta develop a freakin attitude. It’s the mentality of ‘always on go.’”
“You gotta breed yourself that way, man,” Glenn continued. “Then it becomes part of your DNA. Then it’s just about what you do. Organizationally, we gotta get offense, defense, special teams, we gotta get to that point, because that’s when you start winning games. I’m telling you, man, that’s when that shit gets fun.”
Throughout the rest of the video, you can see Glenn try to motivate the team through positive reinforcement. What was striking to me, in particular, was how he was always trying to keep the energy high, and asking his players to get loud—something we certainly saw from the defense all camp. These players are going to chirp and chirp often.
“Let me hear the noise! Let me hear that talk!” Glenn said.
And all of that was just in the walkthrough period.
My other favorite parts:
- Glenn dancing and warning that Tracy Walker and Jeff Okudah are going to be doing the same this year.
- Communicating with linebacker Tavante Beckett that he needs to focus on his job and his job alone.
- Letting Amani Oruwariye know that every corner is occasionally beat by a snag, but he has to learn from it.
- Glenn sorta, kinda whistling.
- “Our guys starting to understand, they’re starting to get to the ball now… but I gotta yell my ass off.”
Watch the whole video here: