NASHVILLE – Chance Campbell was all in after being drafted by the Titans last April.
A productive linebacker in college, Campbell displayed plenty of good qualities during his first few months on the job in Tennessee. He was showing promise in practices, and he was productive in preseason games.
Then it all came to a screeching halt – a knee injury derailed his rookie season, and it forced him into a schedule that included a lot of rehabilitation, and time on his own.
“You go through a period of being upset and frustrated with the world about, ‘Why me? or What if?,” Campbell said. “But you can’t really live in that world. I had to find that silver lining.”
A year later, Campbell is back on the practice field with a new question attached to him: “Remember Me?”
Campbell, who played at Ole Miss and Maryland before being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has taken part in all of the team’s OTAs and minicamp, and he’s been getting a lot of work.
Campbell is a mix of inside linebackers that includes fresh faces, and opportunities.
And he’s fired up about it.
“It’s been a long time waiting,” Campbell said. “So, I am just excited to be back out here with the guys.”
Campbell, who started all 13 games at Ole Miss in 2021 and led the team with 109 tackles, got a taste of what offseason work is like in the NFL a year ago.
In addition to OTAs and minicamp in 2022, Campbell also worked in joint practices in training camp, and when he played in the preseason – Campbell started all three preseason contests a year ago – he tallied eight tackles, one tackle for a loss and a pass defensed.
This offseason, the Titans signed inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, Luke Gifford and Ben Niemann in free agency, and returners Monty Rice, Jack Gibbens and Otis Reese IV are all competing inside as well.
Campbell said it’s a hungry group.
He’s doing his part to stand out.
“What’s asked of us is to go and try and make a role and help the team any way we can, and that’s what I am going to try and do,” Campbell said. “They just ask us to play the best ball we can, and that is what I try to focus on, however I can do that, the best I can do that, that’s what I try and do.”
And while his experience from a year ago is beneficial, Campbell said he’s focused on what’s ahead, not on the past.
In a lot of ways, he’s starting over.
“I am definitely more comfortable – it’s not the first time you are seeing a lot of things, so that’s huge,” Campbell said. “Small things from being here in Nashville, knowing what that’s like, from I don’t have to pull the GPS up when I come to work, so that part is cool. So, there is a comfort spot.
“But it’s also important to not be comfortable. Coach (Mike) Vrabel talks about that all the time. Nothing is made, so you have to work to get better and do what you can to make the team better.”
Source: TennesseeTitans.com
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