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 - 5h -
The Lions sign WR Tim Patrick a day after he pleads to return to Detroit
The Lions sign WR Tim Patrick a day after he pleads to return to DetroitYahoo Sports - 36m -
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 - 17h -
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 - 3d -
New Lions CB D.J. Reed sees greatness in Terrion Arnold
New Lions CB D.J. Reed sees greatness coming in Terrion Arnold, Detroit's first-round corner from 2024Yahoo Sports - 1h -
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 - 3h -
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 - 6h -
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. - Mar. 7 -
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 - 4h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
UNC vs. Duke: How to watch tonight's ACC semifinal college basketball game
The Duke Blue Devils will play the UNC Tar Heels tonight in the 2025 ACC Tournament semifinals, here's how to watch.Yahoo Sports - 6m -
BBC and ITV secure new Six Nations deal to keep championship on free-to-air television
New deal ensures ITV secures all of England’s matches for the duration of the four-year partnership with the BBCYahoo Sports - 6m -
ACC Tournament - North Carolina vs. Duke Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats
UNC Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 10m -
Free Agency: Cowboys adding second-round experience in RB swap with Panthers
The Cowboys know Miles Sanders well after he spent four years with the Eagles and two with Carolina. Now he'll join an evolving RB room in Dallas.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
PA Football Top Returning Players - Pioneer Frontier Offense
PA Preps names the top returning players for this conference for the 2025 season now! SUBSCRIBERS: Click to the see the full article here now!----------------- What other coverage am I ...Yahoo Sports - 10m
More in Sports
-
Women's Bracketology: Stephen F. Austin seals spot, but all eyes on Ivy Madness
With the final two teams in the field facing off Friday, the center of the Bracketology universe is Providence, Rhode Island.ESPN - 3m -
How Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese powered the Rose to the semifinals
Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese have positioned the Rose to make a run at Unrivaled's inaugural title.ESPN - 4m -
TKO Boxing explained: What we know about Dana White's role and its plan, what could still happen in the future
White and Turki Alalshikh made the announcement about the new league coming to boxing, but many details are still to be announcedCBS Sports - 5m -
UNC vs. Duke: How to watch tonight's ACC semifinal college basketball game
The Duke Blue Devils will play the UNC Tar Heels tonight in the 2025 ACC Tournament semifinals, here's how to watch.Yahoo Sports - 6m -
BBC and ITV secure new Six Nations deal to keep championship on free-to-air television
New deal ensures ITV secures all of England’s matches for the duration of the four-year partnership with the BBCYahoo Sports - 6m