Canopies help Detroit Lions stay cool in scorching Florida sun

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — How hot was it Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium?

“It was hot,” Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said to a room full of laughter.

But nothing the Lions weren’t prepared for.

The Lions defeated the Miami Dolphins, 32-21, in a game where the temperature at kickoff was a toasty 89 degrees.

But rather than have their players roast in the hot Florida sun all day, the Lions used an increasingly common method visiting teams have tried over the years to prevent dehydration: Canopies to help players stay cool on the field.

The Lions brought extra staffers from their groundskeeping and maintenance departments to Miami, and they spent the game holding up two long fabric canopies over players who sat on the bench.

“I felt a notable difference when you were — as far as temperature-wise — when you were underneath them,” Stafford said. “I think I'm going to get those guys some treats or something. That's a tough job right there. That's some shoulder workouts from hell. So I was happy they were there; but we'll have to get something nice for them.”

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The canopies weren’t the only method the Lions used to stay cool.

At halftime, IVs were available for players who felt dehydrated. At one point during a break in play, the Lions huddled off to the side in the shade rather than in the middle of the field in the sun. And practices last week were designed to account for the heat and humidity, too.

Players said the Lions had shorter-than-usual wait times between plays and periods in practice, and they had to run extra laps at various times during workouts to help ramp up their body temperatures.

“It was hot,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “But look, in the end we're playing the Dolphins, we're not playing the weather. And it was important for us to just focus on the opponent. That's the biggest challenge.”

As hot as it was, the humidity agreed with several Lions, including rookie running back Kerryon Johnson, who ran for a career-high 158 yards.

"This is the same stuff I've been doing for years, since I was a little boy," Johnson said. "Been up there in Detroit freezing my tail off, and finally got to feel the sun and heat and humidity. I was loving it. So I took advantage of every second I could just looking at the warmth. Now it's back to Detroit."

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Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. 

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