After four years at Texas A&M and seven more in the NFL, Dan Campbell had played in a lot of loud stadiums before he played a home game in Detroit. He can still hear Ford Field to this day.
"My first game ever here as a player, 2006, it was actually Seattle and I just remember, I was not expecting that -- it was loud. And I’d been in some loud places and been around. That was my first eye-opener to, wow, we get some wins here and this place will really be on fire," Campbell said Monday ahead of the Lions' 2023 home opener against Seattle.
The Lions lost that day to the Seahawks, 9-6, and would only get two wins at home that season. But Ford Field was electric last season when the Lions won four of their final five home games in Campbell's second year as head coach. Now it's awaiting a potential NFC contender that just quieted one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.
With the Lions coming off a 21-20 win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead and coming home to more hype than maybe ever, Campbell expects Sunday's atmosphere at Ford Field to be off the charts.
"I know what Arrowhead is and it was loud. I expect it to be louder than that, I really do," said Campbell. "I just know our fans. It’ll be to the point where you can’t hear yourself think -- for them, anyway.”
The Seahawks are plenty used to playing in loud environments themselves. The noise at Lumen Field in Seattle makes for one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL. Ford Field should create a similar edge this season for the Lions, who, by the way, have a score to settle with the Seahawks from last season.
Seattle came to town in Week 4 and beat Detroit 48-45, which would give the Seahawks the tiebreaker over the Lions for the final playoff spot in the NFC.
"Our fans are going to be going crazy this weekend," said Campbell, "with those guys coming into town."