Sheppard: 'It's Never Okay to Not Meet Those Standards'

The Detroit Lions will have new leadership for the defense for the first time under head coach Dan Campbell.

Kelvin Sheppard is taking over the reins of the defense after helming the group of linebackers in different capacities in four years on staff. Now, he'll bring a new voice but similar philosophy in his role.

In his first month on the new job, Sheppard explained the importance of setting the standard for the group during his press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday in Indianapolis. With plenty of returning players and his experience in the locker room for four seasons, he's expecting players to quickly adhere to his standards.

“We have a lot of players that have been in this thing now for a few years, and I owe it to them to raise the standard," Sheppard said. "The biggest difference in expectations and standards, for me, I’m very careful with that expectations word. Because you can expect a lot of someone, and sometimes it’s okay if they don’t reach those expectations. To me, we have standards in Detroit.

"We have standards by the way we’re gonna play defense, and it’s never okay to not meet those standards," Sheppard continued. "So I’m not going to sit up here and say, ‘I want top this, top that.’ I am going to sit up here and say, ‘There’s going to be a way we’re going to do things this year, and it’s only going to be one way.’ And those guys are going to fully understand what that is from the start, and either you’re in or you’re not. I think if everybody gets on board, it could be special for those guys.” 

Why Sheppard is 'ready'

After four years with Aaron Glenn serving as the defensive coordinator, the team promoted Sheppard following Glenn's departure. Now the head coach of the New York Jets, Glenn couldn't be happier for his former colleague.

Campbell and Glenn had been increasing Sheppard's responsibilities in recent years, which allowed him to build confidence in his ability to lead the defense. When Glenn left for New York, Sheppard was the natural fit to fill his shoes.

“Shep was always somebody that — I’ve always believed that Shep could be an outstanding coach," Campbell said. "And about two years ago, I just felt like this guy would be ready to be a coordinator sooner rather than later. So A.G. and I talked about it and tried to give him more responsibility over the last two years. With that in mind for him, man, this is the next step, without ever telling him. Nothing was ever promised. I felt really good about that. He’s ready, he’s ready.”

Glenn mentored Sheppard for their four seasons together, with Sheppard beginning as the outside linebackers coach. He continued to rise within the staff every year, with Glenn helping to prepare him for the role he'll assume this offseason.

“Kelvin’s a guy that I’ve mentored for a while," Glenn said. "He’s tough, he’s gritty, he understands ball from a number of different perspectives. I just totally have a lot of confidence in that man, and I think he’s gonna do a helluva job.”