Since becoming the Detroit Lions head coach in 2021, Dan Campbell has done an incredible job of establishing and creating a new culture in the Motor City, which permeates through the roster and coaching staff.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been with the team for years or just joined recently; you understand what the Lions head coach is trying to do, and it has worked for multiple years.
Detroit rookie pass rusher Ahmed Hassanein recently joined the Lions after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Even though he’s only been on the team for a few weeks, the former Boise State standout has already caught the eye of new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and is now quoting his new head coach.
In a post on Instagram (h/t Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit), Hassanein wrote, "There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. There is no light. There’s a song Metallica has, ‘No Leaf Clover,’ and it says man, when it comes to the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, it’s just a freight train coming your way. Just put your HEAD DOWN and go to WORK. It’s about to be fun."
Lions fans might not remember this, but Campbell said this in the first episode of Hard Knocks a few years ago, using it to motivate his team.
It’s a good message that his team must’ve taken to heart, as Detroit finished the 2022 season with a 9-8 record. It was a six-game improvement from Campbell’s first year with the club (3-13).
Since then, the Lions have improved over the last two years, winning 12 games in 2024 and 15 in 2025. Detroit hopes the rookie defensive lineman will work hard and improve his skills, as he could play a notable role this upcoming season.
Over his four-year career at Boise State, Hassanein had 119 combined tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. In his last two seasons with the Broncos, he was a game wrecker, producing 33 tackles for loss and 22 sacks in 28 games.
The Lions didn’t do much to upgrade their defensive end rotation, re-signing a lot of their own guys from last season, which could open up the door for the rookie. Let’s see if he takes that Campbell quote to heart and puts it into action.