Detroit Lions– Scottie Montgomery enters Week 1 after a training camp built around internal competition, physicality and specific development plans for both players and coaches.
Montgomery discussed why this camp felt different, Tay Martin’s emergence, offensive consistency, Kelvin Sheppard’s growth, Dan Campbell’s connection to New Orleans and the culture Campbell has created for his coaching staff.
TALKING POINTS
Why This Camp Felt Different
Tay Martin Won With Physicality
Discipline Can Fix The Offense
Sheppard Grew As A Coordinator
Northville Reinforced A Football Lesson
Campbell’s New Orleans Connection
Campbell Gives Coaches Family Time
Why This Camp Felt Different
Campbell eliminated joint practices and forced the Lions to generate their own competition throughout camp. Montgomery said the difference went beyond contact. Players and coaches entered camp with specific areas targeted for improvement, giving Week 1 a clear test of whether those individual corrections and schematic adjustments transfer into regular-season execution.
Reporter’s question: “Dan mentioned how much he liked this camp, the offseason. What was it about the camp that struck you as being great?”
Scottie Montgomery started with the physical approach, saying, “I think first the physicality.” He then pointed to the individual plans established before camp: “I thought coach gave us all action plans ... I think we executed as coaches the action plans better this year than we’ve done maybe in previous years.” Montgomery added, “There was things that Hutch wanted to work on. He got a lot better at. There was things that Jamo wanted to work on, he got a lot better at.”
Tay Martin Won With Physicality
Tay Martin had to separate himself in a receiver room Montgomery described as the deepest of his Lions tenure. With the top receiving jobs largely established, Martin needed value beyond catching passes. His blocking, special-teams work and ability to learn multiple receiver positions gave the staff reasons to keep expanding his opportunities throughout camp.
Reporter’s question: “What does it say about Tay Martin that he was able to kind of come out on top in that battle beyond, you know, the top three that we all knew were going to be on the team?”
Montgomery said Martin first separated himself without the football: “What made him stand out is his physical demeanor in the run game.” He explained, “We saw him in one-on-one situations in the hole, in the C gap, on the perimeter, and he just continued to win those battles.” Montgomery added, “When we transition into special teams, those battles showed up again,” before noting, “He came to me a couple of days in, told me he knew multiple positions. That caught my eye once again.”
Discipline Can Fix The Offense
The Lions’ offensive inconsistency in 2025 was not described by Montgomery as a shortage of talent. He traced problems to details that can disrupt an entire concept before the ball reaches a playmaker: alignment, route depth, quarterback pocket depth and communication. Cleaner execution in those areas is where he believes offensive consistency can improve.
Reporter’s question: “The offense was inconsistent at times last year. I mean, sometimes the efficiency wasn’t there. What gives you the confidence that it’ll be much better this year?”
Montgomery tied the issue directly to discipline, saying, “If you go back and look at the issues that we had last year, it was directly connected to discipline in one way or the other.” He explained, “Maybe the depth wasn’t right, maybe our alignment wasn’t right, maybe the depth of the quarterback pocket wasn’t right, maybe we weren’t on the same place in communication.” Montgomery added, “We know our guys going to be where they’re supposed to be doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
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Sheppard Grew As A Coordinator
Kelvin Sheppard enters his second season as defensive coordinator with another year of play-calling experience and an offseason to expand the system. Montgomery focused on Sheppard’s ability to communicate his defensive ideas throughout the staff, allowing position coaches to understand the intent of a call before the defense reaches the practice field.
Reporter’s question: “Since you mentioned it off the top, did you see growth year one to year two from Shep and kind of how did that present itself to you out there?”
Montgomery praised Sheppard’s communication, saying, “I thought he did a great job in his first year.” He added, “His communication with his players, the scheme, the plan, it was very sharp.” Montgomery said the growth continued through offseason study: “The biggest thing that I think that you see with Shep is that his mind is continually growing.” He explained, “What makes the coordinator a lot better ... is just the ability to have the people around him know exactly what’s on his mind, especially in critical situations.”
Northville Reinforced A Football Lesson
Montgomery and Jim O’Neil both have sons playing at Northville, giving the coaches a rare football connection outside Allen Park during the season. Northville’s overtime opener gave Montgomery another example of the same emotional discipline demanded in the NFL: stay level, keep competing and do not allow one play to determine how the next one is handled.
Reporter’s question: “What can Montgomery and O’Neil learn from Montgomery and O’Neil in Week 1 for the Northville Mustangs and apply it to Week 1?”
Montgomery immediately connected the lesson to finishing games, saying, “It’s never over. Play through the echo of the whistle.” He added, “Just continue to play.” Montgomery also pointed to emotional control: “They know the negative that comes with it. They know the positive that comes with it. You know, stay even-keeled. I thought they stayed even-keeled.”
Campbell’s New Orleans Connection
Campbell spent part of his coaching career in New Orleans before becoming the Lions’ head coach, and he has regularly referenced lessons from that experience. Week 1 puts him across from an organization he knows personally, but Montgomery framed the connection through preparation and respect rather than allowing the staff to turn the opener into something larger than the football assignment.
Reporter’s question: “Throughout the years, we heard a lot of stories where Dan Campbell referenced his time from New Orleans. I’m wondering from y’all been on the inside, did he share some of those New Orleans moments or what do you think this game means to him?”
Montgomery acknowledged the connection, saying, “I think it always means a lot.” He added, “He has shared some stories with us, you know, on the field and off the field. I mean, it is New Orleans.” Montgomery then turned to Campbell’s respect for the organization: “He has tremendous amount of respect for the way that they’ve built the program and they’ve built their organization.” He added that there is “a certain level of heightened awareness” among the assistants entering the game.
Campbell Gives Coaches Family Time
NFL coaching schedules can consume nights and weekends during the season, while Montgomery’s sons are playing football at the same time. His answer gave a look at Campbell’s staff culture: complete the work required by the team, but create room for coaches to support their families when the schedule allows it.
Reporter’s question: “We know the hours that go into your position. What kind of opportunities does Dan create for you guys to make sure you’re there to support your family?”
Montgomery described Campbell’s approach as unusual in the NFL, saying, “He’s created an environment that where as long as we get our work done, he’ll let us get to where we need to get to.” He added, “It is very, very unusual.” Montgomery explained, “He understands. He’s been through it. He saw it. He’s witnessed it,” and called Detroit “one of the best places I’ve been as far as that’s concerned.”
About Will Rock
Will Rock Is The Founder Of Detroit Football Journal And DFJ Sports, Providing Independent NFL Coverage With Credentialed Access Since 2024. His Work Focuses On Detroit Lions News, NFL Draft Scouting, Roster Analysis And Film Study.
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