Eagles Rookie Understands This Isn't Basketball, Accepts Whatever Role He Gets

PHILADELPHIA – For the first seven games, Jihaad Campbell rarely came off the field, a rookie thrust into the starting lineup while the Eagles waited for Nakobe Dean to complete his rehab.

While they waited, Campbell made plays and tackles. He intercepted Baker Mayfield at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter in a win over the Bucs back in Week 4 and he recorded more than six tackles per game in that seven-game span.

Slowly, his snaps decreased when Dean returned and looked like his old self from a year ago. Finally, Campbell ran out of snaps, playing none on defense against the Bears last week.

Vic Fangio admitted he probably messed up and should have found a way to get in Jihaad Campbell into last week’s loss against the Chicago Bears. The defensive coordinator said that he “probably” will find a way to get him some snaps again starting with Monday night’s game against the Chargers in Los Angeles.

Asked how Fangio’s words me him feel, Campbell said on Friday, “I gotta be honest, I don’t know what he says.”

That’s not to say Campbell was disappointed. If he was, he didn’t express that.

Vic Fangio Wants To Find Role For Rookie

“I don’t get into all the stuff,” he said. “It’s focusing on how he can continue to keep being one of the greatest D coordinators that’s still in the game. I appreciate him each and every day to learn from him, to have him guide me through a lot of trials and tribulations of just understanding his scheme and football in general.”

Campbell has been consistent all along with how he has approached this season. Statistics, he says, do not matter. It’s all about winning, and he said it again.

“It isn’t really about me,” he said. “This is not like a basketball team where I’m looking to score 40 points, and then if I don’t score the next 40 points the next game, I’m pissed off and mad. It’s not that.

“It’s all about wanting joy for yourself, of course, and wanting joy for everyone else around you. I love watching our guys play. I love watching myself play on tape. That’s the best thing about it. At the end of the day, it all equals up to having that winning mentality. That’s what we’re all here for.”

Until his turn in the linebacker rotation comes again, Campbell will get snaps on special teams. He got six against the Bears and now has 22 of them this year. Special teams were part of his role at Alabama as a freshman, when he became known as a “special teams ace.”

“It’s fun,” he said. “I feel like people don’t really value special teams, but you see all these people out here, they work hard. All these special teams guys, we all work hard to be on teams. We value that as another third thing that matters in the game. Of course, offense and defense matter, but special teams changes games, too. That’s the biggest thing about it.”

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