The Detroit Lions took part in their latest practice of training camp on Friday, with the team holding an intrasquad scrimmage in order to make the practice feel like a preseason game as the first exhibition contest is less than one week away.
But that wasn't the only notable thing to occur on Friday. Head coach Dan Campbell took the podium before practice with a shirt that had "Salty" written on it, which led many to wonder what the meaning behind it was.
As we all hung on the edge of our seats for an explanation as to the meaning of the shirt, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer got the answers we were looking for.
Campbell was wearing a shirt that said “Salty” at practice Friday. He explained to me it has two meanings. The first one is obvious: He wants a team that plays that way, with a real hard edge, which everyone knows. The second is less apparent. He wants guys to be “salt of the earth.” It’s important for him as he tries to keep his team grounded after last year’s success, something that’s actually been relatively easy because he has a lot of guys who are, yes, salt of the earth. In fact, the work of three guys who just got paid—St. Brown, Jared Goff and Penei Sewell—came up with folks I talked to, which is a good sign that all the praise and hype the Lions have received won’t change them.
As he's shown time and time again, Campbell can get deep, and that "salt of the earth" explanation perfectly illustrates that. He has also adopted the word "aura" during training camp, something he's used a number of times in pressers.
Campbell constantly having a message or mantra for his team, whether it be "grit" or "salty" or whatever, is one of the many things we love about him. He has a rhyme and reason for everything he says and does.
Campbell and the Lions are set to move to the next phase of training camp, when the team takes the field for joint practices with the New York Giants on Monday. The Lions and Giants will then meet in Preseason Week 1 on Thursday.
