DETROIT — Scattered across the second floor of this restaurant, just a smidge past 4 p.m., they took the stage at HopCat’s Midtown location one at a time, goatee by goatee, ready for their locker room speech.
They had all the essentials. Headsets. Callsheets. Coffee cups. Gum. Gear. Grit. Each of them had the look more or less down — some more accurate than others. And over the next hour on this Sunday evening, they would do their best to embody the essence of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, as part of the first-ever Dan Campbell look-alike contest.
“I don’t know why you’d waste your time with that,” the real Dan Campbell said on Tuesday when informed of the contest’s existence, before changing course. “There’s got to be better things to do than – unless the prize is something worth having. …Maybe I’ll get in it.”
#Lions HC Dan Campbell is thinking about entering Sunday’s Dan Campbell look-alike contest at @HopCat
Winner gets free fries for a year pic.twitter.com/3cqZHZeE0N
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) December 3, 2024
Even though Campbell’s Lions had the day off on Sunday, Campbell himself couldn’t attend the event. Perhaps he was trying to level the playing field. However, with no Lions game, there were more than enough fans willing to spend their Sunday impersonating the coach who turned their franchise around.
“I love the Lions,” Campbell look-alike Geno Daniels said. “I don’t love a lot of things. I love my wife. I love my family. I love the Lions, and I love Detroit.”
Look-alike contests are a bit of a new trend. Back in October, a Timothee Chalamet contest in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park drew thousands of onlookers and participants, with the promise of a $50 cash prize. The real Timothee Chalamet, a native New Yorker, even stopped by. Last month, a look-alike contest for actor Jeremy Allen White — star of the Chicago-based series “The Bear” — was organized in Chicago.
It’s hard to think of a better option for a Detroit look-alike contest than Campbell right now. Campbell, 48, is in the Coach of the Year discussion for what he’s done with the Lions this year. The team is 12-1 for the first time in franchise history — matching last year’s regular-season record with four games remaining. They’re riding an 11-game winning streak and sit atop both the NFC North and NFC. He’s one of the city’s most popular figures, with a distinct look and recognizable mannerisms that make for a relatively easy impression. And thus, an idea was born.
HopCat, a Michigan-based chain restaurant, hosted the event and invited any and all Dan Campbell look-alikes to compete. For the last few weeks, fliers have made the rounds in Detroit — posted on bulletin boards and street lights to spread the word. If you live in Detroit, you might’ve seen one.
I know y’all got uncles that look like the man. Show up for your chance to win Free Fries For a YEAR! pic.twitter.com/3LutLmqDYh
— HopCat (@HopCat) December 3, 2024
Last week, Lions players learned of the contest and couldn’t help but laugh. Some even offered tips and insight into what makes for a successful Campbell impression.
“Just the stature,” offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal said. “Like, he’s a guy who commands the room as soon as he walks in.”
“Bow-legged, chest out, arms back,” running back David Montgomery said. “But a sweetheart.”
“The chewing gum and headset, for sure,” kicker Jake Bates said.
“The goatee is crucial,” punter Jack Fox said. “You have to have the right goatee.”
“It helps if you’re like 6-7, jacked, good-looking,” long-snapper Hogan Hatten added. “That helps.”
One Campbell doppelganger who wasn’t in attendance? Lions right guard Kevin Zeitler, who dressed as Campbell for the team’s Halloween party. He would’ve been a worthwhile competitor.
Put me in coach 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/yaw9v4VGYQ
— Sara Zeitler (@Mrs_S_Zeitler) October 29, 2024
For those who did participate, here’s how it worked: The contest began shortly after 4:15 p.m. Four judges were randomly selected from a drawing and stationed at a table off to the right in front of the stage. They were tasked with judging four categories — resemblance, style, energy and creativity — and were told to score the contestants on a scale of 1-10, for 40 points total.
The five Campbells with the most points would then advance to the final round, where the judges took turns asking them questions, much like a Campbell press conference. Then, they were allowed to make a final impression. The winner, decided by the crowd applause, would receive a year’s worth of Cosmik fries from any of HopCat’s locations. Runners-up received gift cards.
These were the five finalists as chosen by the random panel of judges. (Colton Pouncy / The Athletic)
Each look-alike contestant arrived with a common story, learning about the event in a similar fashion. Most were middle-aged men with goatees, often told they look like Campbell in their everyday lives. When news of the contest spread, their phones blew up with messages from friends and loved ones, encouraging them to enter. All gathered with a game plan in mind.
They broke down film beforehand, watching minutes upon minutes of Campbell’s press conferences to learn his cadence and vocal inflection. They brought props, borrowing their teenagers’ gaming headsets to mimic Campbell’s coaching headset. One Campbell look-alike wore fake muscles underneath his Lions gear since he didn’t have the natural physique of a 6-foot-5 former NFL tight end. Another Campbell leaned into the Applebee’s commercial bit, wearing an employee shirt and nametag with a menu in hand. Daniels, from Grand Haven, brought a wheelbarrow on stage with him, then dumped out a pair of footballs. We’ll let you put two and two together there.
Geno Daniels brought his wheelbarrow and two footballs on stage. (Colton Pouncy / The Athletic)
After all 22 Campbells took the stage and a group photo, the judges turned in their scores, tallied up by the HopCat staff. From there, the five finalists were called to the front for Round 2. It was time for the press conference.
What’s Dan Campbell’s morning routine?
“Since you guys bring up my dogs, gotta feed them, pet ’em, give ’em some love, take ’em for a walk, throw the ball here and there, pet ’em on the butt a little bit,” said one of the Campbells. “If anybody else asks, get up, pump some iron, think about what our plays are gonna be, hand ’em out, get some feel for it, let everybody know I love ’em.”
What do you think about this week’s game? What does the team have to do?
“The team needs to keep on doing what they’re doing,” another Campbell answered. “Fourth down and inches, you know I’m gonna go for it. If you all saw social media this week, you saw me getting criticized for going for it on fourth-and-inches, but I have faith in this offense.”
Super Bowl is on the line. Fourth-and-5, down 7 at the 30. Who’s getting the ball?
“Amon-Ra,” Campbell said. “I’ll tell you right now, he doesn’t miss a catch.”
After their closing remarks, the host had the crowd select a winner, based on applause. In the end, it came down to Daniels, and Jeff Randall of Manchester. Daniels, a lifelong Lions fan, is an elementary school art teacher. He proposed to his wife, a Packers fan, on Christmas Even in 2011, after the Lions’ rout of the Chargers to clinch a playoff berth. He has since slowly converted his wife and his father-in-law from Packers fans to Lions fans. On Sunday, he impressed the crowd with his props. He brought game balls in the aforementioned wheelbarrow, first-down markers held by referees on stage and even a leg with its kneecap bitten off — a piece of art he made himself.
Randall, too, is a lifelong Lions fan. Some of his favorite memories include watching Billy Sims and the Another One Bites the Dust era of the early 1980s. He has since watched the Lions evolve from 3-13-1 to 9-8 to 12-5 and said Campbell’s belief in his players has gotten the team this far. During the contest, Randall managed to capture Campbell’s appearance and personality. He went in for a haircut before the event and told his barber to square off the neck to look more like Campbell. He brought a playsheet, a coffee from Starbucks, a wad of gum and wore Campbell’s signature long-sleeve shirt. He was the closest thing there was to a dead ringer for Campbell.
There could only be one winner, though.
The crowd voted for Randall.
Jeff Randall was the victor and now gets free fries for a year. (Colton Pouncy / The Athletic)
Bro might actually be Dan Campbell pic.twitter.com/hwMoLM1jW0
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) December 8, 2024
Your 2024 Dan Campbell look-alike contest winner pic.twitter.com/snzR3cedzM
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) December 8, 2024
Campbell is one of one in the NFL, but particularly in this city. You don’t often see head coaches with an approval rating as high as his, but given where this franchise was before he arrived, it’s hard not to see why. Last season, Campbell led the Lions to their first division title in 30 years and their first playoff win in 32 years. He is the first coach in franchise history with back-to-back seasons of 10 or more wins. The Lions are off to their best start in franchise history at 12-1, and Campbell’s DNA is ingrained in the team he coaches.
Unlike the look-alike contest, the Lions’ 2024 season won’t be judged by vibes. There are real and meaningful expectations for this team. They’ve looked like a Super Bowl contender, but looks only get you so far. The Lions are trying to win more than free fries for a year. They prefer the whole enchilada, as Campbell puts it. Falling short of those lofty goals would be disappointing to many, even those in attendance on Sunday. It comes with the territory when you reach the top.
But what was clear on Sunday is that Lions fans are enjoying every bit of this ride Campbell has them on.
“I want to shake his hand and say thank you for everything you’ve done and thank you for bringing everybody together, the whole city, the whole state,” Randall said. “I’m not from Detroit, but the whole state has rallied behind the team.”
“I wish I could tell him thank you,” Daniels said. “Not for me, but for those guys that are playing for him, for the city of Detroit, for people that invested their entire lives, for people that are older than me that have never seen a Super Bowl — they might see a Super Bowl in their lifetime. Like, to me, that’s special. It’s amazing.”
(Top photo of contestants in the Dan Campbell look-alike contest: Colton Pouncy / The Athletic)
