How Lions coach Dan Campbell was denied a Super Bowl ring as a player

Sean Payton distance Dan Campbell he got a job as a player and coach, but couldn’t get him a job Super Bowl ring.

When Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions, played for the New Orleans Saints in 2009, he injured his knee in training camp and was placed on injured reserve for the season. When the Saints won their only Super Bowl championship that season under Payton, tight end Campbell was denied a Super Bowl ring – a decision at the team’s discretion.

Saints handed out 219 Super Bowl ringswhich included players on the practice squad and IR, as well as long-time Saints players who were not on the team in 2009. Medical staff also took home the rings.

But there was no jewelry for Campbell, who was hired by Payton after his playing career ended and then Payton recommended him for the Lions job. Payton and Campbell first met when Payton was the team’s coach Giants and Campbell was selected in the third round of the 1999 draft.

The NFL is not involved in the decision-making process, but pays for the 150 rings. The club is keen on rings for this reason, and the Saints have decided to award rings to anyone “who cares about keeping their job through the team’s success.” Everyone who was “in the line of fire,” said then-CEO Mickey Loomis.

Some NFL teams award rings to office and administrative staff, website contributors, and so on. Other teams are more demanding. Many years later many Super Bowl rings go up for sale.

Fox reporter Carmen Vitali I discovered the affront in an interview with Campbell, but here’s how to do it nola.com reported this in 2010 when the Saints held their ring party:

The club was more subjective towards the players. Every player on the active roster during the season received one.

The Saints also awarded selected players from the training squad and injured reserves. For example, Billy Miller and Mark Simoneau received rings. They played throughout the season, spent time in the locker room and in meetings, and attended most of the games. Dan Campbell, who was also on injured reserve in pre-season and was rarely seen, did not. That’s fair. …

It’s really simple: If Tom Benson signed your weekly paycheck or you changed in the team’s locker room before games, you got a ring. Otherwise you probably didn’t deserve it.

Whatever. It may not be long before Campbell wins one of the awards as head coach: According to Fox SportsThe Lions’ Super Bowl odds have increased since the preseason, going from +1200 preseason to +250 currently. The Lions have a 28.6% chance of winning the Super Bowl.