By Blessing 
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 25 years since Dan Campbell first found the end zone in the NFL — and judging by his reaction this week, you’d think it was something out of another lifetime.
The year was 2000. Campbell was a young tight end with the New York Giants, still carving out his place in the league. In Week 5, he hauled in a pass from quarterback Kerry Collins for his first career touchdown. It should’ve been a memory etched in his mind forever — except, apparently, it wasn’t.
When reporters asked him recently if he remembered that play, Campbell couldn’t help but laugh.
“Man I, no. I hadn’t even thought about that,” Campbell said with his signature grin. “I can’t even remember what that was. I know it was from… No, that’s sad that I don’t. Because I only have a few, I only have like a handful, that’s what’s sad about it. I know it was from Kerry (Collins), but couldn’t remember if it was a flat or in the back of the end zone. It was not a go route. No, that’s crazy. That’s a long time ago.”
Then, in true Dan Campbell fashion, he turned it into a joke.
“I’m fortunate to have the teammates I had around me, I can tell you that,” he said. “Because if Kerry was throwing it, I had no choice but to catch it, it caught me.”
That easy humor and humility sum up why fans adore him. Even as the Lions’ head coach, Campbell remains that same grounded player — one who’s never lost touch with who he was, even if he’s forgotten a touchdown or two.