Blue White Illustrated

C hristian Campbell, like any football player, understands the risks that he undertakes whenever he puts the hel- met on, straps up his cleats and takes the field. That's football. But perhaps the biggest risk of his football career thus far has come away from the field. Although he was plenty familiar with James Franklin and was confident in his choice, he signed a national letter of intent with Penn State without ever seeing the campus. "It's taking a risk, but I know and I heard from a lot of people that Penn State is a good school," Campbell said. "You go with how you feel. I prayed about it. When Coach Franklin offered me on the spot, I had to commit because I know he's a great coach and everything is going to turn around [at Penn State]. I know I haven't visited yet, but I know once I get up there I'll like it. It's taking a risk, but other than that, I know I'm good because Coach Franklin is about to turn it around." Despite playing his high school football in the fertile recruiting hotbed of Alabama, Campbell went relatively unnoticed by major football programs for the first part of his career. Not until the summer before his senior season did he start receiving interest from Division I programs, and not until after his senior season did he begin earning offers, making visits and seriously considering colleges. The native of Phenix City, Ala., was what some might call an "under-the- radar prospect," but that was only until the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game in December. In a game filled with four- and five-star prospects who were com- mitted to almost every Southeastern Con- ference program, Campbell was one of the outstanding performers. "I played against the best of the best [in high school]," he said. "There was some good competition, but it wasn't the same as the all-star game." From his safety position, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Campbell finished with nine tackles, but it was his effort during practice in the week leading up to the game that sparked the interest of more college coaches. Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Kynon Codrington ranked Campbell, a three-star prospect, as the No. 2 performer from the Alabama team, ahead of players who were getting ready to sign with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina and Ole Miss. "Campbell continues to improve his stock," Codrington wrote. "He lined up at safety and was the top back-end de- fender [during the 7-on-7] period. The Central standout racked up multiple in- terceptions and challenged [Alabama com- mitment Marlon] Humphrey for our top spot. He displayed excellent ball skills and played with great leverage when the ball was in the air." In the month that followed, Campbell picked up offers from Indiana, Syracuse, Minnesota and Missouri. Had it not oc- curred so late in the recruiting process, his all-star performance probably would have helped garner even more offers. Campbell took official visits to Indiana, Minnesota and Missouri, and he even met with the Hoosiers' coaches once at a Waffle House. But Franklin and the rest of Penn State's staff already knew what he was capable of. Campbell had camped at Vanderbilt before his senior season – when Franklin was still coaching the Commodores – and made a strong impression on the staff. In turn, the staff made a strong im- pression on Campbell. "I met Coach Franklin at the Vanderbilt camp, and I was one of the top DBs there," he recalled. "I did real good. Then they started recruiting me from there." Due to Campbell's SAT scores, however, Franklin was unable to extend a scholarship offer. But the two stayed in touch, and Franklin encouraged him to take the ACT in hope of improving his overall test scores. By the time Franklin accepted the job at Penn State, Campbell had made the necessary progress, and the Nittany Lions were able to extend an offer – an offer that Campbell accepted on the spot. Franklin initially asked Campbell to start his college career at safety, but he recently reconsidered and now wants him to play cornerback. "I'm cool with either," Campbell said. "My [high school] coach wants me to play free safety, but really, I just want to go to college and play cornerback. But it don't matter to me. As long as I'm on the field, I'm good." ■ SHOOTING FOR THE STARS Defensive back Christian Campbell's late arrival helps him land with the Nittany Lions THE CAMPBELL FILE S T A T I S T I C S Campbell totaled 56 tackles, eight pass break-ups and an interception during his senior season... Added nine tackles during the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in December H O N O R S Class 5A All-State selection at Central High School as a senior... Received a three-star rating from Rivals.com |

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