When Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley predicted that Detroit will go to the Super Bowl, it sounded like the type of boast that most coaches would tell their players to keep to themselves. But Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he was glad to hear Fairley is confident.
“He has high expectations, as everybody on our team does,” Schwartz said in an interview on ESPN today.
Schwartz said that Fairley is used to winning, and he believes that if Fairley (who missed nine games in his first two NFL seasons) can stay healthy, he’s going to help the Lions win a lot of games.
“He won a national championship in college, so I guess that’s the next step,” Schwartz said. “Nick is a very good young player for us and he went through a stretch last year where he was very dominant on the field. Unfortunately for him, his first two years he hasn’t been on the field enough for us because of injuries. Last year he ended the season on injured reserve. I think that’s a big thing for him this offseason is just being able to be available for us more, because his talent is there. I like guys who set the bar high.”
Fairley set the bar very high. Schwartz sounds confident that Fairley can back up his talk.