Q&A with Miami (Fla.) DE Calais Campbell - Rangy Campbell says he has edge over the competition

Miami (Fla.) DE Calais Campbell is one of the tallest players in this year’s draft class at 6-7?nbsp;— and he makes sure to mention the partial inch — but he’s also one of the best. Expected to be drafted in the late first round or early second, Campbell is a gifted pass rusher who might just be coming into his own at age 21 (he turns 22 right before the season starts). Athletics are in Campbell’s blood, too. He is perhaps the best athlete in the family, having averaged a double-double in hoops in high school and could have played Division I as a tight end, too, but he also has five football-playing brothers who have played college ball.

Campbell’s sacks fell off from 10?nbsp;as a sophomore to six as a junior, but he got enough positive feedback to enter the draft early, and it appears to be a sound decision. Although tragedy struck the Hurricanes’ program the past few years with the deaths of Brian Pata and Sean Taylor, Campbell believed he could deal with death better than others because of the father he lost in high school. Campbell took some time to talk with PFW about the his kick-blocking proficiency, the Miami tradition, playing tall, skiing and “icebox pie.”

PFW: Tell me about your high school career — I heard you were quite adept at blocking kicks and running them back for touchdowns.
Campbell: (laughs) Yeah, I had a couple returns for touchdowns. I think I had like five. Blocking kicks, it’s kind of fun, coming off the edge. I didn’t do too much of it at Miami, but high school was a blast. I had the Colorado state record for sacks.

PFW: Yeah, you had more than 60, right?
Campbell: I had 57.

PFW: And you also played tight end?
Campbell: Yes I did.

PFW: Is that why you went to Miami? Were you attracted to the school because of guys like Kellen Winslow and Jeremy Shockey?
Campbell: I was recruited to play both. The first day they gave me an offensive playbook, and they gave me (uniform) No. 81. But the defensive coaches wanted me to play defense as well. So it worked out well for me.

PFW: So how did they convince you defense was the way to go?
Campbell: I have been playing defensive end since I was six. I had only played tight end in the three years before that. I even played a little offensive line my junior year. Really, defense has been in my heart since I was a little kid. But when I was playing ball, Shannon Sharpe was my favorite player, and I wanted to play tight end at first. But my coach, when I was 6 years old, put me at defensive end, and I was a natural.

PFW: Were you bigger than everyone back then too?
Campbell: I was pretty big, but I wasn’t bigger than everybody. I just continued growing when other kids stopped.

PFW: You also played a little hoops. Did you get D-I attention?
Campbell: Oh yeah, I have a little bit of basketball skills. A couple of schools offered me double scholarships, especially in the Pac-10 — Washington and Oregon. But I told people right away I wanted (most) to play football. At Miami, (Coach Frank Haith) recruited me to play basketball as well, but football was in my heart then and I wanted to be the best I could be, so I didn’t want to mess that up by playing basketball. Part of me kind of wishes I did try it, just because I am pretty good at it. But the football thing has worked out well for me.

PFW: I’d say so. Who is the best hoops player other than you on the football team?
Campbell: I would have to go with Lovon Ponder. But there are a couple of guys who can ball.

PFW: Were you 6-foot-7 when you got to Miami or did you grow?
Campbell: Yeah, I maybe grew like half an inch after I got to school.

PFW: And what did you weigh?
Campbell: When I first got there? I weighed 228. I am about 282 right now.

PFW: Is that a pretty good number for you? Do you believe you could play at that weight in the NFL?
Campbell: I think this is a perfect weight for me. I have been working out pretty hard, training real hard. I think I got up to 290 for a while, and I could play at that weight. But 280 or so feels a lot better.

PFW: What are the advantages and disadvantages of being tall in football?
Campbell: It really helps out a lot creating great leverage. If you get up into people, it really helps you. And I have the long arms to bat down passes. But also, when you are tall, a lot of guys want to cut (block) you. You really have to work them, by bending, playing with your hands. I play the cut block well, but it’s kind of hard because you have to play with really great technique.

PFW: Do you regret redshirting considering how you have played?
Campbell: No, not at all. I think redshirting was something I needed to do, playing on the scout team and going against (former Hurricane and current Texans OT) Chris Myers. And I played against Eric Winston, who is also in the NFL (with the Texans). It really helped me fine-tune my game and let me get tested against better guys. It really helped me adjust to college.

PFW: In 2006, you really made a name for yourself with sacks in seven straight games. What was the difference for you that season, being so good?
Campbell: It was my first year actually starting, I really felt like — Coach (John) Palermo was there at the time — he demanded the best out of me. That’s when I really played hard. I really feel like I play with great passion. And I started playing with great technique.

PFW: This past year, did you play up to your expectations?
Campbell: I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, not at all. I feel like I had a good year, I still played pretty well. I didn’t get to the quarterback as much as I did the year before, but I really feel like I played a lot better (as a junior). Even the year before when I had a great year, I feel like I could have had a better year. Last year, my technique wasn’t as good as it should have been. I realize I could have made some more plays, but when you lose your technique, it’s kind of hard to make plays, especially if you are off balance or out of control sometimes. If I take a good angle and hit the quarterback, he gets hit, even if I don’t get the sack. But I realized my first step was outward instead of forward. It took me longer to get off. Little technique things that really led to me not making big plays.

PFW: Talk a little about Bryan Pata — how much did his death affect you?
Campbell: Oh man, that was so tough on the whole team, especially the D-line because he was our leader. He really worked with me a lot and helped me be the best I could be. And I played behind him the year before. We talked a lot, and he worked with me the first time I started, against Florida State. It was just him walking me through that first game, telling me what I needed to do to beat my guy. And it really helped me out. He was a good friend of mine, and when that happened it was real tough on me and the whole D-line. The night before (his murder) we had a good day. It was our D-line coach’s birthday, and we dumped some water on him. And Pata was just so happy.
I can’t believe it happened. It makes you appreciate life. You never know when it’s going to be over, so you have to live for today and not worry about tomorrow too much.

PFW: Had you ever met Sean Taylor before he was killed?
Campbell: I definitely met him before. Most of the NFL guys come back. Sean came back as well, and I got to meet him and know him a little bit. It hurts when you see something like that happen. My dad passed away when I was a senior in high school, and my grandmother passed away when I was young. Those hurt badly, but I got to see death when I was younger, and I really learned that you have to appreciate the good times when they are on Earth because you can’t change it. You can’t change the outcome, so you remember the good times.

PFW: Back to football … I heard there was some confusion on the sideline with two different coaches signaling in defensive calls at the same time at times. True?
`Campbell: I don’t think there was as much confusion with the coaches as there was with the players. I think it was just that we didn’t always play together as a team. Coach (Randy) Shannon was always trying to get us to play with discipline. And if the guys on the field are not playing together, it doesn’t matter what the coaches call. I really feel like (Coach Shannon) is doing a good job of getting guys on the same page, this year especially. And the stuff he did last year will really help next year as well. Some of the things they threw at us at first were simplified, but now that guys know what to expect they can do more. I really think the team is headed in the right direction.

PFW: Who were the NFL players you talked to most often in the Miami weight room?
Campbell: Oh man. From Ed Reed to Reggie Wayne to Willis McGahee. Jeremy Shockey, but he didn’t come back this past year. He came back the year before. Bubba Franks. You go down the line, it’s crazy how many people come back. I learned a lot from D.J. Williams. Jonathan Vilma, Jon Beason this past year. I played with him, but he really helped me a lot going through this process.

PFW: That’s quite a list indeed. Tell me about your brothers playing football.
Campbell: Yeah, my little brother is here, and I have two brothers who play up at Montana and I have another brother who played at Adams State, which is a school in Colorado.

PFW: Who is the second-best NFL prospect in the family?
Campbell: (laughs) Whoo, that’s tough! That might cause some trouble! I might have to avoid some family members after this. My personal opinion, Ciarre is the best athlete — he’s got a year left at Montana. Ridiculous athlete, 4.35 (40-yard dash). Speed guy, 40-inch vertical. He’s 6-3, 185 pounds, pure muscle. But my brother, Jared, who is at Miami, his instincts are just ridiculous. He’s not the strongest guy out there, but he’s supersmart. He plays with confidence, and he has great hips.

PFW: OK, you covered the bases somewhat by mentioning two brothers.
Campbell: Yeah, but my other brothers might be a little mad!

PFW: What was your best track event?
Campbell: Ooh, that’s tough because I did the long jump, triple jump, shotput and discuss. I didn’t do it my senior year, which I probably should have. But my junior year I made state in all four. I think my best might have been shotput, but my favorite was triple jump.

PFW: Favorite athlete of all time other than Shannon Sharpe?
Campbell: It’s got to be (Michael) Jordan. Winning championship after championship … even now, people want to be like Mike still. A (basketball) player I really like now is LeBron (James). At first when he came out, I was like … “He’s got too much hype coming out of high school.” But he has really showed me that he is a ballplayer. And he knows how to win. Carried his team to the finals last year.

PFW: Favorite home-cooked meal?
Campbell: That’s tough. My Mom can throw down! She makes a lot of things I like, but I like her chicken. When she makes some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy … I also always ask her to make this special pie she makes. It’s called the “Icebox pie.”  It's with vanilla wafers, this cream she makes up, and bananas. It’s kind of like a banana cookie cream pie. It’s really good. It’s family recipe.

PFW: Tell her I want that recipe. Being that you are from Denver, do you ski?
Campbell: One time. It was a lot of fun. I fell a lot, and my friend actually got hurt. He came with me and two other guys I played football with, and because he got hurt I haven’t been (skiing) since then. But after I stop playing football, I will definitely go again.

(pfw.com)