The NFL Scouting Combine is a time for aspiring NFL players to showcase their physical attributes in hopes of improving their draft stock. During the weeklong event, players are invited to show off their size, speed, strength and other athletic abilities.
While the Combine is an opportunity for players to try to impress NFL teams, former Maryland and Ole Miss linebacker Chance Campbell also used the Combine as a way to help others. He partnered with Uplifting Athletes as part of its “Reps for Rare Diseases” campaign.
Reps for Rare Diseases raised money based on participating athletes’ performance in the Combine. The goal of the campaign, according to its website is to “inspire the rare disease community with hope through the power of sport and raise money.”
A set amount of money would be earned by players depending on their performances in specific Combine events. Other contributions were made to Campbell’s fund as well. He ended up raising more than $9,000, the most of any participating player.
Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $50,000 this year through Reps for Rare Diseases.
“I was really pumped about that,” Campbell said on Glenn Clark Radio March 10. “I was happy with the weekend, but that was the number I was really happy with. I had some people reach out to me and share some stories that I would have never known. It makes you happy when you can help other people.”
In terms of Campbell’s performance at the Combine, he did very well. Campbell ran a 4.57 40-yard dash, which ranked 10th among linebackers. In addition, he tied for fifth among linebackers in vertical jump (39.5 inches) and tied for eighth in broad jump (10 feet, 7 inches). He will also be participating in the Ole Miss pro day, which is scheduled for March 24.
“I think people might not have thought that I was very athletic, so I think it was good to get some of those numbers down and then kind of work to keep putting good ones down as my pro day comes up,” Campbell said.
Campbell, an Ellicott City, Md., native, went to Calvert Hall, where he played football and lacrosse. Campbell would eventually commit to Maryland to play football as a consensus three-star recruit. During his three seasons at Maryland (2018-2020), he played in 20 games and racked up 107 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery touchdown.
After three seasons at Maryland, Campbell transferred to Ole Miss for his senior season in 2021. Campbell had a very impressive year, playing in all 13 games and totaling 109 tackles and six sacks.
While it’s not always easy to transfer, Campbell believes it was a great decision for him and it really allowed him to grow as a player and a person. He thinks that going to Ole Miss will help him in the future.
“I think Ole Miss was fantastic for me,” Campbell said. “I had an amazing time playing football, getting to meet some really cool people. But the actual dynamic of the transfer is something that I think is similar and helps set me up well for going to the next level. I lived in Maryland my entire life, so going away to a new town and living off by yourself and being around new people and having to kind of reestablish yourself, those are all things that I’m going to have to do at the next level. I got a pretty good test run at it and I think that set me up pretty well.”
In addition to growing as a person, Campbell explained that he also developed a lot as a player. When Campbell transferred to Ole Miss, it marked the fourth defensive system of his college career. There were things that he had to do that he wasn’t asked to do in Maryland, but Campbell explained that his time with the Rebels helped him understand the structure of a defense more and it also helped him become a better leader.
“From a leadership standpoint, I got there at Ole Miss in June,” Campbell said. “When you’re the Mike [linebacker] and you’re kind of calling the defense and you’re running the show a little bit, you’ve got to earn the respect of the guys there, so kind of learning how to do that in short order, I think that’s something that will serve me well.”
During the course of his four seasons playing at the collegiate level, Campbell got a ton of experience playing against some of the top teams in the country in the Big Ten and SEC. As a result, Campbell believes that he is a very well-rounded player and can fit into any team, as he hopes to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
“I really do think I can mold my game to serve whatever a team needs,” Campbell said. “I think I have things right now that I can bring. I think I can run sideline to sideline, I can make plays behind the line of scrimmage, so being in the center of a defense, where I’m free to get to that ball and where I can kind of be a field general and set things. I think that’s something that right now I’ll be ready to do and I’m excited and I think I can do well.”
For more from Campbell, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics