Detroit Lions DC Has Not Yet Been Contacted by LSU

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has quickly become a coach that has the potential to rise up the ranks quite quickly.

In just seven games, Detroit's defense has not had any major drop in production since Aaron Glenn departed to become the head coach of the New York Jets.

For Sheppard, his passion for his current position as Lions defensive coordinator and for LSU football is quite clear.

Naturally, a former Tigers football player, who also spent one year working down south as the Director of Player development, Sheppard's name has been included in several early lists of candidates who could replace Brian Kelly.

Following the bye week, he was naturally asked several questions about his growing popularity, what he felt about LSU's opening and if he is interested in the opportunity.

Here is exactly what was said prior to practice Thursday morning by the former NFL linebacker.

Did Sheppard learn anything from seeing Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson experiencing growing popularity?

"When you have success and failure, that comes with certain changes. But always trying to, it's kind of cliche, but being where your feet are. I'm very blessed and fortunate to hold the position that I do here as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. A winning, soon to be championship organization. I don't take that lightly. This position comes with a lot. Whether you're in this position or you're a QC or you're a janitor, if you start to look out and stretch out looking for other things, you will lose the things that you hold on to currently. I've seen that and I've seen that happen to people. I've seen it happen to players chasing contracts, chasing plays on the field instead of letting things come to you.

"When you put your head down -- I didn't get to this position by trying to be the defensive coordinator in Detroit. I got to this position by understanding what my role was within this organization. I got to this position by understanding that you got to put your head down and go back to work, whether you have success or failure. I'm gonna remain to do that and whatever may lay out there for me, God willing, that's going to happen. But that's going to happen through success in my current position, not through anything else, not by politicking for anything, not by trying to set headlines a certain way, by putting my head down and giving this organization the best version of myself. And that's what I plan to continue to do."

Has he followed what has happened at LSU and what type of coach does the SEC program deserve?

"Obviously, I've kept up with them. That's my alma-mater. I keep up with them every year. Every week. When you cut me open, I kind of tell people, because this thing's running right now -- you cut me open, I'm not going to lie to you. I spent five years, six if you include the year down there coaching. That place molded me into the man that I am today and still becoming. You cut me open, I'm a Liger. I think that's what they called it. Half lion, half tiger.

"That school expects championships, and they should. We hoisted a trophy when I was there. They hoisted one after I left there. The standard down there, just like we've created the standard here through hard work, through what you put out there -- it's championships. It's not just being around. It's not being competitive, and it's not winning. We should win. That's what we put ourselves in position to do, over the course of time. It's championships. And that school deserves that. That fan base deserves that. And I know the people down there in place will make sure that happens moving forward."

Are you interested in the LSU job?

"I can't be interested in something I have no idea about. I'm interested in beating the Minnesota Vikings. I'm tasked with another tiger this week, and Justin Jefferson sent me on a tiger conversation. And that's a tall one. He's one of the LSU greats. That's what I'm interested in. I'm interested in seeing us come off this bye week and and stop cutting ourselves short of the potential, I believe, who we could be as a defense and as a team.

"It's time to make this final push. And it starts with us limiting points, putting our offense in certain situations to capitalize off us, giving the ball back to them. There are a lot of things you can get into and speculate about. But the truth of the matter is, nobody has contacted me about anything dealing with a job, outside of anything I'm doing right now."