need to know
- Holly Campbell, 50, and Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, 49, tied the knot in 1999
- Looking back on their long relationship, she told People magazine, “We're almost grandfathers now.”
- After more than two decades at Dan's side, Holly admits she's tried a lot of game day fetishes – and now she reveals which ones have stood the test of time
Game day may bring excitement to fans, but for players, coaches and their families, it brings with it a huge amount of nervousness and uncertainty.
Holly Campbell, the wife of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, admits she's “not cool” during games and relies on some weird superstitions to get by.
When it comes to home games, the 50-year-old arrives at the stadium early and heads to the pitch an hour before kick-off for a ceremonial pre-match kiss with her husband.
In case Holly isn't there, the old couple will be sure to FaceTime each other before the first game.
“I mean, it had to be done,” Holly tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Holly and Dan Campbell.
Contributed by Holly Campbell
During games in Detroit, Holly was in the stadium suite watching and supporting the team – just not in the way most people imagine.
“If something doesn't go well, I get sent to the bathroom,” she shared, noting that there is one in the suite.
This superstitious habit makes her feel like she has some control over what happens on the court.
“It's like a break. You know, I can sit on the toilet and watch the game on ESPN and wait for the cheers so I can come out.”
Friends and family were totally involved – sending Holly into the stalls when things weren't looking good, only calling her back into the action when the team started to turn things around. “I mean, I can't deny it because it works,” she said.
But if things don't go well, Holly takes note of what she's wearing and puts the item “on hold,” adding that it “won't be wearing it again anytime soon.”
Holly campbell.
Contributed by Holly Campbell
Thinking back to when Dan played for the Detroit Lions from 2006 to 2008, Holly remembers wearing a bracelet with her husband's number, 89, on it.
However, the team “lost, lost, lost,” she told People magazine, but she still refused to take off the sentimental jewelry.
Determined to rid it of its bad luck, Holly cooked it. “It's crazy! It's crazy to talk about it!” she said, emphasizing that only other WAGs could understand her game-day quirks.
“I thought we won the next game after that,” Holly noted. “So there must be something going on!”
Holly Campbell and her fellow Detroit Lions WAGs.
Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions (AP)
For nearly 20 years, Holly used to tell Dan to “do a good job” before every game, but that stopped after that.
This quote comes from their first date, a movie night end of the world. “I don't know if you remember, but every time they were going to build a bomb or something, Steve Buscemi would go crazy… 'Do the job, do the job,' you know, so it would explode,” she recalled.
Although the Lions are off to a rough start to the 2021 season, Dan's first year leading the team, what started out as a fun inside joke has become a long-standing tradition.
Dan Campbell and his wife Holly Campbell.
Holly Campbell/Instagram
At that time, the Lions experienced 10 losses before finally defeating the Minnesota Vikings.
“The day we won the first game, I forgot to mention — it was the first time ever,” Holly said. “It worked out for him, so maybe it was me. The whole time, I was like, 'Well done.'”
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Fortunately, the Lions are off to a great start this year with a 4-2 record.
After a poor opening night against the Green Bay Packers, they bounced back by dominating the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, and Holly said they're ready to “go all the way.”