Mmm, could we make the "Athlete" part a bit larger?
The Post Game: Most of the Tennessee Titans likely wanted to forget every second of their visit to Pittsburgh. The team got beat up by the Steelers on Sunday, 38-17, and surely hurried through the airport without a look back. But for one rookie, a defensive back named Tommie Campbell, there was a good reason to sneak a glance around. Campbell used to work at the Pittsburgh airport. As a janitor. Campbell played two seasons for Pitt [but] poor grades ended his time as a Panther. After losing his scholarship at Pitt, Campbell squandered a second chance by lasting just one season at Edinboro, a Division II school. Once again, poor grades did him in. He had few options left. He started hanging out at the bars, smoking cigarettes.
Campbell got a shot at another Division II school in Pennsylvania. Defensive coordinator Mike Conway was skeptical to say the least. The skill was there — he was first-team all-state in high school as a wide receiver and safety. “I just worked with every opportunity God had given me and just pushed forward,” Campbell says. Conway gave Campbell a chance to play. The Titans took Campbell in the seventh round (251st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft and gave him a chance to play his way onto an NFL roster.
If I’m reading this right (and I am), the lesson for all you kids out there is, if you’ve got all-state talent at two positions, you’re going to find a college out there that could not give two sh1ts about whether you can spell your name. “You can’t play for us, son. You’ve already been run out of two programs which, excuse me, really aren’t that strict about grades to begin with, and - oh my good christ, is this 40 time correct?! Welcome! May god bless you and deliver you to the NFL one way or the other!” (And next time cover the spread fcs.)
ps – “I just worked with every opportunity God had given me and just pushed forward…” I’m not sure he has a firm grasp on the meaning of the word “every.”
