Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia speaks to the media on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Allen Park. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
Matt Patricia got the jones to coach early in life.
As an adolescent, when he played electric football with friends, Patricia was so enamored with the strategic side of the game that he spent hours diagramming plays and “thrived” on trying to outwit his buddies in contests that would last weeks at a time.
But now, as he prepares for his first NFL game as a head coach Monday night when the Detroit Lions host the New York Jets at Ford Field, Patricia has Honolulu blue and silver blinders on with no time to reflect on the personal milestone he’s about to accomplish.