Okudah ‘energized’ by new coaching staff
During his rookie campaign with the Detroit Lions, cornerback Jeff Okudah learned several lessons — both on and off the field.
In college, the talented defensive back became accustomed to winning and not having to deal with multiple levels of dysfunction.
Playing professional football in Detroit taught the rookie cornerback how to deal with a variety of adverse circumstances, including battling injuries, not being at the top of the team’s depth chart and figuring out how to handle issues with transparency.
“The reality is when you’re at Ohio State, things are really looking up a lot of the time. You don’t really have to deal with losing. You don’t deal with dysfunction,” Okudah explained at the end of his rookie season.
He added, “I think from my standpoint, I think everyone, all parties involved, everyone could have been transparent. I think that’s something that players always appreciate — as well as coaches and (the) front office — is transparency. No hidden agenda. That’s just
everyone being transparent the whole time. And, I think that when you have an organization that’s run on that premise, I think that you have a solid organization now, going into this offseason.”
In an effort to enhance
the tone and culture of the organization, Detroit’s front office, led by principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp, has worked diligently to hammer home the message of the importance of team culture and collaboration.
“Certainly, everything
that we’re doing in evaluating the players is beyond the field stuff, and there’s the character part, who they are as a player, how much they love football. And I think it’s kind of proven, with the free-agent players that we’ve brought in and the culture that we’re trying to build,” Lions team president Rod Wood told reporters.
“I would say having talked to a lot of the guys after they were here, they’re here because of our coaching staff. Dan Campbell is somebody that people want to play for, and the rest of the coaching staff are coaches that the players want to play for,” Wood explained further. “So, I think that will continue into the draft. Obviously, in the draft, the players don’t have as much of a choice. But, I think once they’re here, they’re going to fit the culture, and they’re going to be excited by the coaching staff that we have.”
The changes have not gone unnoticed, as Okudah has been a fixture at Detroit’s Allen Park practice facility this offseason.
“I know Jeff Okudah, just as an example, he was in the building today,” Wood said. “He’s in on a regular basis, and I think he feels energized about the new coaching staff, as well as a number of the other players, too.”