Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds walk off the field after practice during minicamp in Allen Park on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lions HC Dan Campbell explains why he calls WR Josh Reynolds 'The Praying Mantis'

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 7/30/22

Dan Campbell is channeling his inner Chris Berman.

The Detroit Lions head coach Campbell went viral at training camp over the weekend when he revealed the funny nickname that he has for wide receiver Josh Reynolds — ‘The Praying Mantis.’

“He’s slippery, man,” said Campbell of Reynolds, per Lions writer Dave Birkett. “I call him ‘The Praying Mantis.’ He’s the spider of death. There’s something about him. Fricking serpent.”

Reynolds, who caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games for Detroit after being acquired in the middle of last season, definitely possesses some mantis-like qualities. He is flexible, sneaks past defenders seemingly undetected and is surprisingly deadly for his size.

The best part though is Campbell simultaneously describing Reynolds as a praying mantis, a spider of death and a serpent. Praying mantises are neither of those other things but Reynolds is apparently all of them.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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