The bad news for Caleb Campbell is that he won’t be permitted to play for the Lions in lieu of fulfilling his active-duty commitment to the Army, as a result of his free four-year college education.
The good news (for Campbell, and not for the guy who’ll take his place on the front lines) is that Campbell will be staying in the U.S., coaching football at West Point.
Said Campbell on Sporting News Radio’s The Monty Show: “Before the draft, I was picked to be one of the players to stick around West Point and to help the coaches coach the football team, and just help out with the team. I actually am headed back to New York to start that job, so when they start training camp up at West Point, I’ll be helping out there, I’ll be coaching this season.”
Campbell still hopes to play pro football. “I really think I will be able to one day,” he said. “They said maybe in 2010, I’ll have the opportunity to try out for another team, and I know the Lions are there and they’d give me the opportunity, and I know that I’ll be ready for that opportunity. Whenever they say that I do have do have a chance one day, I’m going to take it, I’m going to run with it, and we’ll see what happens.”
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July 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
It’s really to bad for him.
At least he won’t be overseas.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Did West Point really need another reason for those with athletic talent to shun their instituion?
Showing Campbell trying to make the pros does more for their football program than his advice will help on the field. Why not make him agree to come back to coach after he could no longer make a team, while keeping the tenure requirement? Surely, he would have jumped at that opportunity.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I believe the nfl should put in place a system in wich any military personel drafted should be able have the team hold their contracts or draft rights until thier service commitment is finished. its not like every year a player from army navy or the airforce is drafted.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
It didn’t seem like the Army was interested in screwing this guy over. The DOD seemed to be the ones pulling the rug out from under him.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
So what happens to Detroit? Will they get an extra pick next year? are they out of luck for drafting someone from the military. Or will they have dibbs on campbell when he becomes available?
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Since the Lions chose him in the draft, do they retain the rights for him to use when he becomes eligible, or will they be compensated for the wasted pick?
Also, will this now make West Point football players an entity teams will not choose in the future?
It would seem the Government may be starting another Favre episode. Will they change their mind in a couple months?!
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
What a debacle this became, but is anyone really suprised. I’m not going to argue one way or the other if a player like Campbell should be aloud to pursue an NFL career. The fact that Department of Defense over ruled the Army is just an outright disgrace. You make a decision and you stick to it. You don’t just jerk someone around like that and play with their emotions.
It would take an idiot to not see the value of an Army guy playing in the NFL and spending his free time recruiting other young men to join and hope for the same dream. When is the last time a military team has been any good besides the pass happy Airforce team in the WAC? It’s like the DOD would rather win a pissing contest than do what’s best for the country…wait that sounds familiar, I guess it all starts at the top doesn’t it.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
If Campbell signed a contract, then I believe the Lions would retain his rights or he’d be a FA… I think he would only have to re-enter the draft if he didn’t sign a contract after being drafted.
The Lions should probably get a 7th-round compensatory pick, imo.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
not that i agree with the DoD, i think this is horseshit. but he knew when he signe on at the Academy what he was up against. and that education he recieved is money in the bank. don’t cry too long for him.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
They do Shukey. Ever hear of a QB by the name of Roger Staubach?? He was a Navy grad ,completed his service & had a very successful career in Dallas.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Screw Detroit, they got Matt Millen….they deserve everything they get.
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Rating: 3.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
If there is one thing that can be said of this whole fiasco, it is this: Campbell is handling this like a true gentleman. I suppose he can’t really complain (beinga soldier and all), but he isn’t showing any signs of malcontent or even frustration publicly. Seems like a good kid, a true “Marinelli Guy.” Hope he gets a shot in a couple years and Detroit gets first dibs.
What the NFL should do is tell Detroit they can have another 7th round pick OR first dibs on Campbell if/when he comes back.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Instead of making Campbell a coach, they could send him to Ranger school, and then send him to Afghanistan. Where he could get killed by friendly fire, and then they could cover it up, just like Pat Tillman.
Playing in the NFL is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if Campbell knew that he would not be allowed to do it, He probably wouldn’t have gone to West Point.
There are so many turds in the League. Goodell should do everything he can to bring in a non-turd. I hope that Goodell sues the DOD to get Campbell grandfathered in under the old policy. Let him play for a few years, then he can coach at West Point, or recruit, or go to Iraq.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
this is assuming the Army doesn’t go back on it’s word again…
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
no they don’t ampats.
He did not sign a contract, so he can be drafted again next year by any team. If he’s NOT drafted again next year, he then becones a free-agent and can sign with ANY team.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 24th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Man, this kid lucked out big time! (assuming he can make NFL* roster)
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July 24th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Shame on the DoD for overruling the Army. Did they forget that we are currently at war in two countries on the other side of the world with an all volunteer Army? Giving people a reason not to enlist or not to go to a Military Academy is what a decision like this does. Is it really worth it in order to gain one more Graduate Assistant Coach at West Point? I can hardly wait till we start to hear about this fiasco in the Presidential Campaign.
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July 24th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Once upon a time a QB named Roger was in a more dire situation and had to go to Vietnam, came back and did OK for himself in the NFL as a QB. If Campbell is close to half the talent he might do OK.
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July 25th, 2008 at 7:45 am
This whole thing is so odd. After the Pat Tillman scandal you’d think that a military facing a recruiting crisis would want to avoid more bad press all over ESPN.
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July 25th, 2008 at 9:52 am
The bottom line is that the U.S. Army owns Caleb Campbell’s rights—not the Detroit Lions. And does it really a surprise us that the U.S. government’s left hand does not know what it’s right hand is doing?
But Campbell knows the drill—and he’s lucky he owes the military two years of service instead of five because the new rule took effect in 2005—a year after he started attending West Point. He had fantastic football talent coming out of high school and could have obtained a scholarship at many universities but he chose West Point. The general public does not realize that students who drop out of West Point after a year or more, are obligated and serve time on active duty as enlisted soldiers as pay back.
And Detroit knows the drill too—that’s why they drafted him in the 7th round.
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