_2.gif "Time.com 50 Best Websites 2008")
Detroit Lions rookie linebacker Caleb Campbell, a West Point cadet who is taking advantage of new military rules allowing cadets with special talents to avoid active-duty military service, will be permitted to take part in the Lions’ minicamp this week.
Campbell was initially expected to miss the camp because of the NFL rule limiting first-year players to one minicamp before the conclusion of their schools’ academic year. But Mike O’Hara of the Detroit News reports that Campbell, who is scheduled to graduate from West Point on May 31, has rescheduled his final exams to get them all done early.
Therefore, the NFL will have considered Campbell to have completed his academic year — a strange ruling that seems at odds with the way the NFL is treating players like former Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, who can’t practice with the Ravens until Delaware finishes its semester, even though Flacco himself is no longer enrolled in school.
A seventh-round draft pick, Campbell will be allowed to play pro football this year while spending some time helping with the military’s recruiting efforts if he makes the Lions’ or some other team’s roster. If he doesn’t make an NFL roster, he’ll serve on active duty.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
What better way to help recruitment. “Join the Army and we’ll bend the rules for you!”
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I got to be honest, I really don’t like that he’s able to get out of active duty like this. If he wasn’t able to play football he’d be on active duty like everyone else. He’s not being asked to potentially make the same sacrifice that his other classmates have been asked to. It really smacks of preferential treatment.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Do you intentionally mean to suggest that he is “taking advantage” of something so he can “avoid” military service?
If not, maybe reword the first paragraph. I think its really cool that some guys are able to do that. But when I read the lead-in, I really felt you thought less of him for what he’s doing.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
there have been 4000 filled body bags that have
left iraq,and now the army and the nfl want a feel
good story.this is horse shit.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
A waste of $250,000 in taxpayer money to train a part time Recruiter.
My son is an Ensign in the Navy. He’s a really talented Chemical Engineer whoo is most likely headed to Iraq or Afghanistan to serve with the Seabees alongside the Marines building out infrastructure.
Why can’t he spend two years as a part time recruiter instead? He’s got a special talent and I’m sure he can recruit a lot of engineers into the Navy?
If you accept an appointment to West Point, Naval Academy, or Air Force Academy you should server your commitment. If you want to play Pro ball, go to Penn State or Michigan. Don’t take the place of some other kid who wants to be a Military Officer at an Academy.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Has Flacco graduated or did he drop out of school after the fall semester without graduating? That could be the key - if a player either previously graduated prior to the spring semester or has finished all courseload he could be free to participate in all programs. The NFL probably wants to at least give the appearance that it has a program in place to reward those players who already graduated while not giving incentive for players to drop out of school.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
“If he doesn’t make an NFL roster, he’ll serve on active duty.”
Now THAT’S pressure!!! Make an NFL team or go to war! Good Luck to him.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Good question, fredhoiberg: I think he graduated
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/61947
Campbell will enter the NFL through an Army policy that allows highly regarded athletes to turn pro after their graduation from West Point. This policy, enacted in 2005, a year after Campbell entered the academy as a plebe, allows the athlete to serve a portion of his military service obligation as a recruiter. Cadets who do not play intercollegiate revenue sports, by comparison, have a five year service obligation in the branch they selected at graduation; the higher your rank, the more likely you get the branch you want.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
May 19th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Guys, as a vet I have no problem with Campbell being allowed to go pro, and no problem with the West Point exception.
The exception is partially PR, and partially a numbers thing. There’s surely a bunch of kids each year that consider West Point yet decide to go to school somewhere else because they think they can make the NFL. Most dont. So the Army says, if you’re that good, we’ll let you go. Yeah so they lose a couple guys to the pros, but gain more as most of those owuldnt have gone there in the first place if not for the exception.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Bill in DC - Let me express my gratitide to your son for his service. He’s the kind of young American we are all proud of; a man of his word with the courage of his convictions.
If Campbell had any class, he would have said “Thanks but no thanks. I stand by my committment.” Instead he walks away without looking back at his classmates who will serve as promised. Some may make the ultimate sacrifice. I hope Campbell can sleep knowing that.
We pile on players all the time for not honoring their contracts. Here’s a guy, Campbell, who got a jump on the pros.Who can count on a team mate who has already proclaimed “me first” to the world.I don’t want to say I’d root against him, but justice would be served if he didn’t make the Lions.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.6 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
As someone who played football at Army, I can tell you that most football cadets have the same dreams as any other D1 Football player - they want to play in the NFL. Campbell didn’t know he was going to get this chance until they changed the rules in 2005 - he came to play football four more years while many other D1 schools passed on him.
As a cadet, football is a top priority - its just as important as his school work and military training. The skills you learn in football, the lessons you learn are more applicable than any of the stuff they teach you at West Point.
Let Campbell live out his dream. Who are we to judge him? I’d do the same thing if I were in his position. West Point or not, he’s a football player.
If anything, criticize the administration for allowing such a policy. And if you’re going to cry that the $250,000 investment is wasted, then you should probably look at the academy as a whole. It’s pretty wasteful just for it to exist when we can get competent, professional officers from other commissioning sources that cost far less.
Oh yeah, Go Bandits
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.75 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Im sorry, if you join the army, you should stay in the army. Football comes second to defending America. What about the thousand of guys over there who are risking their lifes. I bet some of them have some kind of talent to do something other then fight in a war. He should not be news. If you want to be a soldier, be a soldier.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I think he deserves this chance. Think if he becomes an NFL star and then starts recruiting kids that would be great for the Army. If not at least he made it to the NFL.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I have no problem with him being allowed to go to the NFL, he still has a commitment to the Army, and he is getting West Point good PR. I think the Army will take any good PR they can get at this point. Dont judge the kid until your in his shoes
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Just as an FYI, this is an Army-only policy, it’s not an option open to players at the Air Force Academy & Naval Academy. I can’t critize Campbell for his decision, but West Pont deserves plenty of scorn for having the policy. It’s an act of desperation from an institution that could no longer compete with it’s brother academies on the field.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
May 19th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
There used to be a time when pro athletes actually left their teams to serve their country and put themselves in harm’s way. Of course, why would a young athlete do so now days when the president and the vice-president of this country (during a time of a national military draft) actually found ways to get out of active duty status?
Caleb Campbell is just doing what he has been taught: if you have a special talent certain folks want to take advantage of for money or PR purposes, or if you have money or parents with money, you won’t be sent to die or be maimed in corporate America’s wars.
I support Campbell’s decision. Why would you forgo a chance at an NFL career and keeping out of harm’s way?
The real problem here is all military academies should have the same rules AND, as we all know, if you are five years old and were born poor chances are you will be cannon fodder when you grow up.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
To watch people judge this guy on this is hilarious. Not to mention you guys don’t even know the whole story. He STILL has to do 6 years of reserve duty. And we all know who goes to war first nowadays. I’m glad to see this kind of thing happen. And the Air Force and Navy should get on board with this. We are talking about .005% of all the enrollment of these schools. Get off the soapbox and complain about something that matters.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
People need to relax about this. He still will serve the Army in some manner, either as a recruiter or in the reserve. This isn’t an automatic thing, he still has to actually make an NFL team (no small task for a 7th round draft pick) and stay in the NFL for the next 2 years (even harder). If he doesn’t make it he’ll go back to active duty, and I’m sure he’ll do it gladly and to the best of his ability.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)