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Detroit Lions defensive back coach Aubrey Pleasant went viral for all the wrong reasons when the team opened the season. After cornerback Jeff Okudah missed a mission on a play in progress, FOX cameras surprised him with Okudah arguing very hotly. Pleasant was seen putting his finger on Okudah’s face and repeatedly yelling “Do your job” at the 22-year-old.
While some saw it as an intense conversation but with mutual respect behind it, others saw more unacceptable behavior. Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith told the Detroit Free Press the Pleasant explosion was the first sign of an “upcoming train wreck.” Safety of Former Lions Glover Quin took to Instagram and condemned the actions of the coach.
“I didn’t see what made the coach leave like this, but how do you get your player to come out and play for you after that !! These coaches are on some BS,” Quin captioned in a story. Instagram.
These players certainly bring a unique perspective, having been in the NFL locker room and probably already on the wrong side of a screaming game. But they’re also missing one piece of the equation: Okudah’s relationship with Pleasant.
Okudah teammate Amani Oruwariye tried to clarify Wednesday afternoon.
“I will be very clear. Everyone has a special relationship with Coach Pleasant, ”said Oruwariye. “He came here and really challenged everyone, because he sees everyone’s potential, and he really just wants to light that (fire) under each guy. And he has different relationships, different ways of going about it, with everyone. But at the end of the day it’s just two guys who want to be great, you know what I mean? We have a great relationship with Coach Pleasant.
Lions rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu also backed Pleasant.
“Yes Coach Pleasant is a very good coach, probably one of the best coaches I have ever had,” said Melifonwu. “Love is difficult sometimes, but you know it’s coming from a good place. It’s not ego or anything, it just wants us to be awesome.
From the outside, it is difficult to analyze everything. It should be remembered that Pleasant returned to Okudah shortly after the incident and kissed him following another poor play from the young cornerback.
Pleasant has certainly shown a fiery demeanor in training, so it’s not something completely new. But while these NFL players outside of Detroit may not be familiar with the intricacies of these interpersonal relationships, their perspective matters, because that’s how other current players are going to see it as well. And that sort of thing could potentially impact free agency.
The incident was significant enough that Pleasant addressed the team afterwards, but Melifonwu said he wanted to keep this conversation internal. Head coach Dan Campbell also commented on the moment, telling 97.1 The Ticket he was okay with it and disagreed.
“This is what is happening on the sidelines,” he said. “It’s strong emotions, man, it’s high stress. And sometimes it’s the only way to communicate, sometimes. You have to go through, you have to go through that barrier and sometimes there are players and coaches. , when you get a blast, now you can finally get some work done if that makes sense. And it just happens like that, naturally. I don’t want any disturbances, but at the same time I know things got cleaned up afterwards that and so, it’s just that that’s the way it sometimes happens.
It’s still questionable whether the end justifies the means, but it’s certainly a nuanced discussion that’s hard to have without a full understanding of Okudah’s relationship with Pleasant, which was exactly said on the sidelines, what Pleasant told the team afterwards, and how the coach will approach his conduct in the future.
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