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When the Detroit Lions used a seventh-round draft pick on Army safety Caleb Campbell in April, Department of Defense policy allowed West Point graduates to avoid active military service if they had the ability to become professional athletes.
Now the Department of Defense has changed that policy, and Campbell will not be able to play for the Lions.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba wrote a letter to Lions president Matt Millen today, saying Campbell has been ordered to give up football for “full-time traditional military duties.”
Under current Department of Defense policy, Campbell will be eligible to request release from his active duty obligations in May 2010. At that point, he would have to reimburse the Army $120,000 for his West Point education and enroll in a reserve unit for six years.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
This American military is one finely tuned machine. Why not just figure this out from the beginning?
Is changing around of deployment orders and service requirements a common thing?
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Rating: 3.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
The lions will stink for another 100 years.
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Rating: 4.15 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
ah now that is F’d. i’m not saying either way whether the rules should let him play or not. but to get him all hyped up, let him show up for minicamp, and then tell him, nah we changed our mind. thats just wrong
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Rating: 4.65 / 5 with 20 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Wow, what a horrible precedent this sets for future Army athletes. In my opinion, this was a very dishonorable and very stupid decision by the Lt. Col. (or whomever he was acting on behalf of) and this will hurt the Army’s image.
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Rating: 4.7 / 5 with 14 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Yeah and a 7th round draft pick will save the
franchise either this year or in 2010….
Puullllleeezzzz
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Rating: 2.15 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
As if the Lions weren’t screwed enough as it is….
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
This is such a dissapointment!! To tell a guy he can follow his dream and let him go out and get drafted!! That is just terrible!! I feel bad for Campbell!!
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Rating: 4.4 / 5 with 11 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
No surprise there. He can pretty much forget about playing in the NFL.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
This is bull for Campbell and the Lions. When Campbell was preparing for the combine and draft he and the Lions should have been told, not less than a week before training camp. Campbell playing for the Lions would have been great PR for the US Military but instead this has the makings of a PR disaster.
And of all units, the freaking Army!!! Can’t they find somebody else to drive trucks or be a supply clerk than Campbell, everybody that knows anything about the US Military Machine knows that very few US Army soldiers actually see combat, they leave that to the Marines.
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Rating: 3.45 / 5 with 9 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
That is as it should be. He didn’t get a taxpayer funded education so he could play in the NFL. He committed to the Army and he needs to honor that.
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Rating: 3.05 / 5 with 15 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Do the Lions get an extra draft pick in the next draft now.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Not that they could possibly ever care about such things, but this could turn into a PR nightmare for the Army. Why did they let the guy enter the draft in the first place if they weren’t going to let him play? If they want to change their policy on such things, they should’ve changed it before the draft, or they should “grandfather” Campbell so that he’s not penalized by the change. The Lions taking Campbell was the true “feel good” moment of the 2008 NFL Draft, and probably the first “feel good” moment that the Army’s had in about six years. Pulling the plug on Campbell’s NFL dreams is a HUGE mistake, and an epic blunder from a publicity standpoint.
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Rating: 4.7 / 5 with 14 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Ridiculous.
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Rating: 4.15 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Great point shadowman.
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Rating: Not yet rated
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Like the Army needed more bad publicity. What amazes me is that by allowing a West Point graduate to serve our country by promoting our Army, while being a professional athlete, would be a huge benefit for the Army. It also would bring top athletes to West Point. Two positives from that are that, the most physically fit athletes would be in our armed forces and these athletes would all graduate college. Considering the very small number of athletes that make it to the pro’s , the rest that had potential would now be serving our country and would have obtained a 4 year degree. Many of these same athletes go to regular colleges, don’t make it in the pro’s and many of them left college early with no degree. Stupid decisions, stupid decision.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 9 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
You gotta feel for the player. He played by the rules.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Roger Goodell should fine Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba a cool $500,000 for “dishonoring the shield”, plus their first round draft pick, should the US Army ever have a pro football team.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Um, if you planned on playing professional football, going to a school that requires 5 years of military service after graduation isn’t the smart choice…
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Rating: 3.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
The Army missed a great PR opportunity. Every football fan in America fell in love with the kid’s story on draft day…
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Rating: 4.25 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
While I guess he has an obligation to the Army this sucks for him. While he may have been somewhat of a long shot that’s taking potential money away from him that he’ll never get a chance to earn back. (no way he plays in the NFL after being away for years) It also takes away a draft pick from the Lions. 7th or not that’s not fair especially for a franchise that bad. They could use all they help they can get.
That’s not even mentioning the fact that you just snatched this guy’s dream right out from under him. All ready to get into camp and have a chance to play pro-football and now all of a sudden “we’ve changed out minds.”
Just bad form all around. Change the rule but allow the guy his chance since what happened was within the rules at the time.
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Rating: 4.75 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
bondem777,
He IS a tax payer. People in the service, basically, work for free. he gets a paycheck. He pays taxes from that paycheck.
While not tax payer money, people with “lower” IQ’s, get a free ride at STATE University’s all of the time with “brainy” people have to pay for their education…..of course, I am sure some of the football walk ons get government money as well…(I believe it is called pell grants, low income, etc.). And then, may (if good enough) leave in their junior year.
Do you want that money back as well?????
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Rating: 3.2 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
What the worst thing about this is, is when they had him talk at the end of the Draft with all the analysts. He was pretty much crying because he was living a dream. Then you tear it away. There aren’t too many honest good stories out there, but this was most definitely one of them, and the Army doesn’t care.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I think the Army should have mad a decision and stuck by it either way. They just flip flopped as much as Obama and McCain….
Someone earlier made a comment that Campbell recieved a taxpayer funded education and should serve. That is a thin line as many, many pro athletes receive a state tax payer funded education and leave when they are good and ready.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Moronic. How many top-level athletes do you think will go to West Point now? Zero!
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Wow, it’s like getting drafted twice! Once by the NFL, once by the army.
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Rating: 4.2 / 5 with 5 rating(s)