Football season is here. No one talks more to the people with the experience and the insight than we do here on Exus and Bros. We welcome in one of the best Lions to ever wear the uniform, Herman Moore. Four time Pro Bowler, three time All Pro. He's brought to you by Soaring Ego Casino on Resort and he's a friend of mine, and I'm very fortunate to be able to say that, Herman. Great to have you, buddy, Glad that you've been able to join us. Hope you
and your family are well. I wanted to ask you about culture change because I think you can speak from great experience. The Lions have changed the culture. They have turned from perhaps one of the worst organizations in sports, not just the NFL, to perhaps the best. How do you think they've done that, Herm?
But He've done it because they've paid attention to the detail. They've paid attention to some of the things that it's beyond just going out and finding the best creator or getting that coveted draft pick that you can then develop into an All Pro and potential franchise. Faith they've been able to really take players and then develop that talent from the base from the beginning, from the actual fabric, and then they develop a culture and in that culture
gets adopted early on. It's built not just by the coaches and what the coaches say, but the players are having a voice in that. Anyone who knows if you build things and you collaborate, that's how you actually build success. That's in business, that's in relationships, that's in family. And because they built the culture so that it's not just building it for the lions, build it for the people as well, and that's the individuals that are there, and that's how the bond has taken place. If you look
at it, it's a very tight knit unit. They bring in players that others have overlooked and then they developed them into starters or they expose that talent that they've seen that others have somewhat either ignored or don't have the time or feel they have the time of the team to be able to wait for. So that's what I've seen, and it's very family oriented. Let's be a
break to see that. And I think we've had it in the past, but I think it's been really built upon having more talent and then bringing in names of people who can present potentially influence the fan base to think that their name alone is going to get it done. So this has been good to see.
What's impressed you most about Brad Holmes and his approach?
I think it's really just the professional side of it. When you look at Brad Holmes, he's he's a very likable, friendly, approachable person, but he's methodical. He's coming from a place where when you understand how to define success, how to look and see what a winning culture looks like, you don't make any compromises. And with Brad Holmes, that's that's
what you get. I really like the way he approaches it as a personal side, but also you know there is a business to it, and people have sometimes thought that. You know, it's got to be business or it's got to be personal, and neither one can work alone. You've blended. He's blended them and he's put a winning recipe together.
Harman Moors joining us here on Exus and Bros. He's brought to you by Soaring Eagle, Casito and Resort. Dan Campbell is seemingly, I know, nonsense type of head coach. Why would you have liked to have played for him?
You know? That's a question because he does seem like a nonsense but this is a big guy. He's he looks like a brick house of a coach, but he's friendly, he's serious about what he does. He knows when you know, some coaches don't have that turn on turn off, but Dan Campbell has that. He lets you know, he lets the players know. And why we've love playing with him is because under his leadership is he goes out and says,
let's take care of business. And then we're done taking care of business, then we'll chill, we'll be family, we'll be we'll have fun, we'll laugh, we'll joke. But when we're playing, it's all business. It's all business. There's no room for anything else, not even you know, to do anything other than breathe in and out success.
I noticed on your Twitter account, your ex account, you're at camp the other day and you said, you know, you're basically in your element. This is where you feel the most at home. What have you recognized about Lions camp that is most important for them reaching that next level?
You know, as far as the environment or as far as like the players and what they're doing both, you know, the environment is there the energy of the fans. I think seeing the excitement that you as a player would bring the fans and that they're they're they're proud to be Detroit Lion fans and they've always been there. You know, your Diehart Lion fans, they never abandon the pride, they never leave. These are fans that have come out and
they are now bringing in the kids. They're bringing in those younger ones and say, this is what Detroit Lion football. We've always wanted it to be. We've seen flashes of it, but I think they're going to grow up with this energy and that fan base is being solidified for decades
and for generations. The other thing you see from the players, it brings a sense of what success is bred, and that is an environment that has energy, a fan base that comes out because they're anticipating this season just like the players. So you're going through it together and that's what you see. And you see the commitment of the
sponsors and the support from the business community. You see the support of the Lions saying Okay, let's go out and let's put together a class act and an environment that we know shines and shows our appreciation for the fans as well in the NFL. So you see it all kind of culminating that you see it all coming together to where it's a end to end, top to bottom, solid franchise and organization that has closed a lot of the gaps. I think that we're missing over the numerous years.
Yeah, her I think it's kind of unfair. Every time people want to talk to you, they immediately want to talk about wide receivers because you were one of the old time greats. Now personally, I like talking to you about secondary like the cornerbacks, because I think your read on that is special, It's elite, and I'll get to that in a moment. But I do want to ask you about Jamison Williams and how you've noticed a difference
in him and what he needs to do. Earlier in the show, I was talking about downfield threats and red zone threats. I don't know if I've ever seen a greater red zone threat than you, But that's not how you should only be labeled. You were an exceptional downfield receiver. How does Jamison Williams become closer to a young Herman Moore in his prime?
Well, he's going to have to, you know, It is a very good question, man, because what he reminds me of is what we had with Jermaine Crowell and some of the other guys. He's short receivers, he's got some range, he's got a little height on him, uh, a lot taller than I thought when you see him in person, and right now everyone's you know, the speed, the speed, the speed, and when you have speed, that's one thing,
but then it's easy to block out those things. So you have to develop a set of tools, and you have to develop a set of talent and skills that allow you to be more than just a deep threat. UH. For him, the development and becoming that that true big play wide receiver is going to be uh. Playing the
entire field. It's going to be challenging people for the past, attacking the ball at its point where it's outside its frame and high point, low point, and being able to show that you're a dynamic Because the coverage is going to get tighter, the teams are going to be a little bit more strategic in terms of how they negate that speed with deep coverage and support over the top.
So he's going to have to be able to innovate and those are things I honestly able to see, you know, making plays when plays aren't there, breaking up the double coverage, and making people understand that you still can't defend me with two people, even in traffic. So that's when you see the evolution of him take the next step. But right now you're looking for the consistency, and that's what
I've seen develop over time. They built his confidence, and I think that was by design and getting him more passes, getting him back in his element, getting back to what he felt he was as a dominant player in college, and now putting that in the on this part of the side of the NFL, it allows him to really go out and now start to develop those other tools.
We're talking with Lions Great Herman more brought to you by throwing ego and resort. The thing that I always enjoyed talking to you about is not necessarily wide receivers, but it's about the secondary and how you used to set them up and how you used to read them. The Lion's secondary, you could argue, was the worst that
part of their team a year ago. What's been your observation of Terry On, Arnold aus Rakestraw, others who have hopefully progressed in that area that might give Lions fans hope that they're going to be better this coming season.
In that regard, I think you hit the Mellon ahead. It's it's the first two. You know, we talk about the development of the young players. We dealt with that. You know, I'll start with this, you know, with with Saint Brown. Okay, here's a player or everyone's wondering. You know, the Lions don't have any receivers right They're they're kind of putting it together. It's everyone's in panic because you
don't you can't name a name. The secondary was similar to like what I like in the Lions receiving unit two years ago doing Saint Brown's with the year, you really didn't have You had names and had some potential. You had some people, but you just really didn't know.
The secondary had players. They some work, some didn't. Then you lost some, whether it be injury, whether it be free agency, and now it becomes a weak point after you've drafted so many high draft picks in the secondary that didn't pan out, and now you've seem like you're just trying to not grasp but straws, but find people so they made a commitment to go after players this
year in the secondary. And when you pick up two big corners and you look at the competition there with Rick Straw and Enis, you really have the opportunity to develop a core of cornerbacks that together can elevate everyone else around them. That's what I see. They have range, they're long, they're tall, they're aggressive, they have speed, and they don't have the fear of any names in the NFL because they're trying to make their own. And that's what I see right now. You know, they're trying to
create their own identity. I look at how they how they practice, and their willingness to compete, even if they're making mistakes. They're competing and they're not getting down, and the coaches are letting them play and they're letting them get beat sometimes, and that's what you have to let you. They're not they're not protecting them. And that's the best part that I see about right now.
That's great insight. Would you have liked to have hard knocks in your camp back when you played.
I think it would have been fun. I think about it like that. You know, right now, it's very controlled. Security is very tight. But we had golf cars driver on us on campus up at Sagonaw Valley, and you got guys taking and taking a little government out of it and making them faster than they should be, and we're just probably could get tickets on the road as fast as we're driving it. And just the environment and
just it was different. Right now, everything's very structured and I think there's a in which the movements are tracked a little bit easier and a little bit more methodical. So it would have been I think it would have been a little bit more exciting. You had had a lot happening behind the scenes. It wouldn't have been just so football heavy. It would have been really about the camaraderie, the bonding and the off field presence. I think would
have people would have taken a liking to. From the insights, Herman.
Moore was a leader for the Lions. Again, he's joining us here on Exis and Bros. Brought to you by Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort and Herman of course and one of the greatest Lions to ever play. Four time Pro bowler, three time All Pro How did you How did you lead when you were a player and how is it different today for quote unquote leaders in an NFL locker room. Do you think.
It's just a weird component Because I look at how I land and how it is being led and who we being leaders back then now being in business and being an actual leader of people and understanding how to get people to follow and or to get the best out of them, there's a lot I woul have done differently. Actually, a lot of people will say, well, this is what
I did, and I thought I did agree. Now, I think there's a lot of things that we missed during that time, and one was really paying attention to the bonding side of it and making sure that there's a bond that takes place, because I think it mitigates conflict. It mitigates the players, you know, not having the ability
to communicate in bond. And I think we had our little groups, which you're always going to have, but there's a completeness that needs to happen in terms of everyone being on the same page and everyone having the same goals and visions as it relates to the team, even though you may have your individual components, you push and you try and find out what does everyone need to
define success? What do you need to feel good about being a Detroit Lion going out giving your best, What type of acknowledgement do you need, What type of commitment do you need from us? And then what commitment will you present back and get people to be accountable for
that and then have them have an accountability. Truly, not just in the sense of when someone's watching, but there's something they're greeting themselves on at the end of the year, and when we saw it, we anointed people leaders because of their name. We anointed them leaders because it was the fan favorite, or it was someone that people wanted to see. But truly, leadership can come from the most unknown people and the motivations come from so many different places.
So when I look at leadership, it comes in many places, but you have to understand the people and you have to do an audit to determine what's going to get people to move.
It is amazing how this franchise has become. I would consider it one of the blueprint franchises in the NFL, if not all sports, and I think a lot of it you give right to Brad Holmes Dan Campbell, of course, but ownership has done a much better job now than when you played of getting out of the way, hiring the right people and letting them do their jobs. Have you noticed that?
I have noticed that, And where I used to think really the decisions were being made in certain areas, that was again I think as they in this day and age, I think there's no way to hide like it was back then. You couldn't tell who had to answer questions. It could be reflected, it could be pushed off to someone else, and then you couldn't track back and thinks
at what as much as you can today. So accountability is a little bit better today, and I think that's allowed the ownership to determine which role, in what place they want to play in it, because they're going to have to answer if they're saying they're accountable and if they're not going to pass it. When we look at the blueprint for the Lions right now, you know, I can't say what's really been the winning recipe as it relates to the organization as a whole from the ownership
it because I'm not a part of those meetings. But I do think that they have released the hold that we've seen that's been there in so many years, and that others has come in. They've asked for so much control that if you give them too much then they can just basically wreck your franchise.
Exactly. Boy, that's well said. Yes or no answer real quick and then I'll let you go. Is it super Bowl or bust for this team?
I think it's super Bowl or bus. I don't think a super Bowl or bus.
No, Okay, hey, listen. I appreciate the friendship, but appreciate the insight. What great insight, best part of the show. Thanks a lot, Have a great week, buddy. I hope we talk sooner, and I hope to see a camp sometime.
Absolutely look forward to talking to you during the season as well. Thank you.