Tommie Campbell is always a Quip ... even in Canada
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Whether he’s sharing his thoughts on teammate Johnny Manziel or discussing the Canadian national anthem or reminiscing about his five-year NFL career, one thing is certain about TommieCampbell: He’s a Quip for life. “Everybody knows where I’m from,” Campbell said after a recent practice for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. “I wear my Aliquippa T-shirt andsweatsuit proudly.”
Had it not been for a push from his mother, Campbell might have abandoned his CFL aspirations to return to BeaverCounty.
He still remembers sitting quietly in a Denver airport in 2016, waiting for a connecting flight to Calgary, where he was to join the CFL’s Stampeders.
Anxious and uncomfortable, Campbell reached for hisphone.
“I called my family and said, ‘I can’t do this,’” he said. “It was real windy going to Denver and I said, ‘Mom, I can’t take this anymore. You haveto come get me.’” Mom,however, refused. “I was ready to retire; it’s a good thing that she talked to me,” said Campbell, who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans (the team that drafted him with the fourth-to-last selection in 2011) before deciding on the CFL. “Now, here I am. Still here. Still playing football.”
Playing it well, too. This near-31-year-old(his birthday is Sept. 19) was named a West DivisionAll-Star after collecting 71 tackles, 3 interceptions and 9 pass breakups for the Stampeders in 2017. A freeagent signee with the Alouettes this past offseason, Campbell has 19 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception from his defensive backposition.
Still confident, just as he was when starring with teammate Darrelle Revis at Aliquippa, Campbell said 30 is thenew 18.
“I’m faster now than when I was in high school,” said Campbell, who regularly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds while playing at three colleges — Pitt, Edinboro and California (Pa.). “The last time I was clocked I ran a 4.21. And who knowswhat I’m running now. I know this: Ain’t nobody runningby me.”
It was that speed and competitive attitude that enabled Campbell to overcome disappointments at Pitt and Edinboro to reinvent himself at Cal.
An often-told story is the one in which Campbell worked as a janitor at Pittsburgh International Airport after being jettisoned from Pitt and Edinboro for his lack of discipline, particularly in the classroom. Deflated and nearly defeated, Campbell wasoffered a lifeline by Cal.
The Titans took a chance and selected him with 251st overall pick. It was a decision that proved prudent after Campbell performed well on special teams and as a frequentdefensive contributor.
It was then that he learned thatlife and football have parallels: Some players — and non-players — choose to stagnate.Others choose to grow.
“This game’s been a blessing to me,” he said. “But I also understand that you only get from this game whatever you put into it. If you put the time andwork in and you make the sacrifices, you can expect great things. If you don’t, it willall end.”
In some ways, teammate Manziel, a former Heisman Trophy winner who fizzled as a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns, is experiencing what Campbell once did. He has yet to fulfill his promise, despite multiple chances.
“Johnny Manziel is Johnny Manziel,” Campbell said. “He’s been a high-profile guyeverywhere he’s been, college and the pros. He’s pretty much everything I’ve expected,but I also expect him to be challenged. People think you come here to Canada and the game’s going to be easy, but they find the opposite. In Johnny, I’m seeing him gettingbetter since he got here.”
Manziel played two games for the Alouettes (2-8, last place East Division) before a concussionforced him to miss the most recent two. He threw four interceptions in his debut, but avoided turnovers in hissecond game before enduring a vicious hit. He returned topractice this past week.
The Canadian and NFL games differ in a variety of ways. For instance, teams feature 12 men per side, the field is longer and wider and offensiveplayers get running starts offthe line of scrimmage.
Despite playing across the border, Campbell keeps an eye on the NFL game. He took note of the national anthem protests. He said CFL players are free to do the same,yet rarely do.
“I found it ironic that no playertook a knee during our national anthem, even though our commissioner came out and said it was OK,” Campbell said. “I like how they approach things. It’s been a great opportunity forme.”