Eagles Draft Pick Returning Home Ready To Be "Best Version" Of Himself

PHILADELPHIA – One Eagles fan was drafted by the New York Giants. That was Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who wore No. 11 with the Nittany Lions.

The other Eagles fan gets to return home. That was Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell, who wore No. 11 for the Crimson Tide and was selected 31st overall by his hometown team on Thursday night as the NFL Draft got underway.

Campbell, 21, grew up 30 minutes away from Philly in South Jersey’s Gloucester Township and attended Timber Creek Regional High School before heading to Florida and IMG Academy for his senior year. He rattled off a few names – Shady McCoy, Darren Sproles, Brandon Graham, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin.

“They're a very great organization,” he said on an early Friday morning Zoom call. “They have a great culture, a great staff. Make sure the team has a great family so we can win, regular season games, playoffs, and most importantly win the Super Bowl.”

When the call came in, the one that general manager Howie Roseman made to tell him he was going to be an Eagles, Campbell wasn’t sure who it was. Even though it was from a 215 area code.

“Once I see the number, I’m like, ‘Hmmm, pretty interesting,’” he said.

He answered and the voice on the other end of the line said, ‘Do you know who this is?’ Campbell said he didn’t.

“That’s when he was like it’s Howie Roseman and I was about to break down,” he said. “It was a surreal moment for me and my family. My grandfather, I’m talking way back to Randall Cunningham days. He always watched the Eagles, and he always loved the Eagles. My pops, my mom, my two brothers, my uncle, I mean my whole family, so it was definitely a special moment for me and my family.”

Now, he said it’s time to get to work. He is working out, probably just doing cardio, despite surgery to repair a torn left labrum only a month ago. He said he was going to get a workout in Friday morning at some point before he is scheduled to meet the media in person around 5:30 p.m.

“I'm just ready to be the best version of myself each and every day and compete,” he said. “Be that dominant force and whatever the coach wants to put me at. …I’m looking forward to a whole lot. This is my new team and I’m just excited to really grow that bond and that connection, that relationship, with (Vic Fangio), with the linebackers coach, with everybody on the defensive staff.

“Just getting together and really understanding the concepts, the different schemes, so I can apply it to my game and maximize each and every opportunity I have on the field.”

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