Roy Lopez wants to coach one day, picked Detroit Lions to learn how from Dan Campbell
When Roy Lopez is done playing in the NFL, he wants to be a football coach — like his father and uncles and pretty much "everybody I know."
And one of the reasons the Detroit Lions' newest nose tackle picked them in free agency was for the chance to learn the profession from Dan Campbell.
"I look to coach one day when I'm done playing," Lopez said Thursday. "And to be able to learn from Dan Campbell, like that speaks for itself."
DAVE BIRKETT: Lions did little to get better in free agency, but there was little to be done
Lopez officially signed with the Lions on Thursday, two days after agreeing to a one-year, $4.65 million free-agent deal.
He is expected to play a rotational role at defensive tackle this fall, and said he's joining a room "that I play a lot alike with."
"These guys play hard, they play for four quarters until the end of the whistle, and that's exactly who I am when people ask about me," Lopez said. "Show up every day ready to work, excited to be here, it's a blessing. No bad days, man. So I think that's the biggest thing is I'm going to grind it out to the very end, when the clock hits zero and maybe one more second after that. So it's a blessing to be a part of this room cause if you look on tape, that's the way they play is you can't fake it. It's down at the core, so it's a blessing to be here."
The Lions return starting defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill, but McNeill is returning from a torn ACL and might not be ready for the start of the season. They also re-signed backups Levi Onwuzurike and Myles Adams in free agency, and return Brodric Martin and Chris Smith.
Lopez played primarily as a run stopper the past two seasons in Arizona after spending his first two years with the Houston Texans. He was a two-time state wrestling champ in high school, and credited his uncle Nick Gomez, a former defensive lineman at Illinois State, for pushing him to play defense because of his wrestling background.
Lopez went 113-3 as a prep wrestler in Arizona. He avenged all three of his losses, but said of the wrestlers who beat him, he still knows "exactly what school they went to and what they look like today."
"Can tell you names, height, weight, Social Security number," he joked. "I can tell you everything."
In football, Lopez still is trying to learn everything, which is part of why he wanted to play for Campbell, who finished second in NFL Coach of the Year voting, and the Lions.
He said he was attracted to the team because "the whole league, the whole country knows what the Detroit Lions stand for," and to Campbell because he "loves his players, he loves his city, he loves his organization."
"I'll tell you from up close, I didn't know he was that big," Lopez said. "I told (my parents), I made a joke, I was like, 'I knew he played, I didn't know he could still play.' Amazing. Like, shook his hand, I was like, 'Man, bro.'
"But yeah, it was awesome. You see it from afar. That's what I mean by the whole country, the whole NFL knows about the Detroit Lions and that's because of the city, that’s because of Coach Campbell. It's because of the culture they built here. They believe in each other. They believe in what they're building and on the outside looking in and as a competitor, as someone that loves ball, it's intriguing. It's a huge part of why I chose ... Detroit."
Briefly
The Lions re-signed linebackers Anthony Pittman and Trevor Nowaske on Thursday. Pittman was non-tendered as a restricted free agent, but agreed to a one-year contract before the start of free agency. The Lions tendered Nowaske as an exclusive rights free agent. Both players should vie for special teams roles in 2025.
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline," at 7 p.m., March 24, at the Birmingham Public Library.
Order your copy here.
Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell influenced Roy Lopez to pick Detroit Lions in free agency
Topics
-
Day 4 of Lions free agency - Medical recap of the players Detroit signed
Day 4 of Lions free agency - Medical outlook of the players signedYahoo Sports - 2h -
Options for the Detroit Lions to replace G Kevin Zeitler
The Lions have several different options to replace RG Kevin Zeitler for 2025, from in-house to the draft and other specific free agentsYahoo Sports - 14h -
My 10-Day Crash Course on Surviving the Apocalypse
I wanted to learn how to prepare for disaster. It turned out I needed skills, yes — but the first thing was learning how to breathe.The New York Times - 2d -
Oregon Ducks looking to move forward and learn from Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State
After a brutal loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Dan Lanning says the Oregon Ducks are learning from it, and moving on to a new season.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Abbott on learning from 'one of the best defences in the Premier League'
Eighteen-year-old Forest centre-back Zach Abbott says he is enjoying learning from "one of the best defences in the Premier League". The England Under-19 international made his senior debut for ...Yahoo Sports - 3h -
Top free-agent cornerback said he picked Lions over Commanders
One of the NFL's top free-agent cornerbacks said he chose the Lions over Commanders. But we thought Adam Peters wasn't being aggressive?Yahoo Sports - 4h -
Want to Show Real Employee Appreciation? Avoid These 3 Recognition Pitfalls
It’s Employee Appreciation Day today. Smart business owners and managers will learn from these failures to bolster workplace morale.Inc. - 6d -
UFC expert picks, best bets: How Vettori can win in return from layoff
Who has the edge in this week's UFC Fight Night? An MMA coach and a betting insider make their picks.ESPN - 1h -
UConn's Dan Hurley on the intensity he brings to coaching
As March Madness nears, UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley sat down with 60 Minutes to talk about his superstitions, sideline antics, and living up to the family name.CBS News - 4d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Davante Adams: No negotiation for No. 17, Puka Nacua was already switching
After word came down that Davante Adams was joining the Rams over the weekend, receiver Puka Nacua referred to his new teammate as “No. 17” in an interview.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
Ex-Reality Star Jessie Holmes Wins Iditarod In Race Marred By Death Of Pregnant Dog
The champion, who was born and raised in Alabama, said he was proud of his dog team and "I love them."Yahoo Sports - 14m -
Sam Darnold says he'll learn from his late-season struggles
In 2024, Sam Darnold and the Vikings beat all but two of the teams on their schedule.Yahoo Sports - 14m -
This date in Texas history: Longhorns beat Missouri to begin 1986 NCAA championship run
On this date in Texas history, the women's basketball team began its run through the 1986 NCAA tournament.Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Revealed – Why Empoli Will Sign Inter Milan Striker This Summer Even IF Relegated To Serie B
Empoli will sign striker Sebastiano Esposito from Inter Milan this summer, even if they go down to Serie B.This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via ...Yahoo Sports - 17m
More in Sports
-
Davante Adams: No negotiation for No. 17, Puka Nacua was already switching
After word came down that Davante Adams was joining the Rams over the weekend, receiver Puka Nacua referred to his new teammate as “No. 17” in an interview.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
Tracking NFL free agency: Live updates on every signing, trade, cut and rumor
We're following every NFL free agency move, with updates on Cooper Kupp and Miles Sanders.ESPN - 13m -
Making sense of QB moves in free agency: We ranked the 10 best fits and answered big questions
Sam Darnold to Seattle. Geno Smith to Las Vegas. Aaron Rodgers to ...? Our experts sort through quarterback signings, trades and extensions.ESPN - 13m -
Ex-Reality Star Jessie Holmes Wins Iditarod In Race Marred By Death Of Pregnant Dog
The champion, who was born and raised in Alabama, said he was proud of his dog team and "I love them."Yahoo Sports - 14m -
‘He was getting buckets’: Cooper Flagg always seemed inevitable
Stories of dominance from those who witnessed Flagg's brilliance in its infancy.ESPN - 14m