Interview with Jason Campbell

        Jason Campbell led Auburn to an undefeated season and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2004, now he’s finally getting his chance to play in the NFL. 

         On Nov. 19, Campbell made his first career start after a year and a half of being a backup. In his first two starts, Jason has passed for over 320 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He was unable to lead his team to a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but pulled off an improbable win against the Carolina Panthers. 

        The Washington Redskins drafted Campbell in the first round of the NFL draft in 2005. He was immediately labeled the quarterback of the future, but the decision to put him on the field was attributed to the inconsistent play of the veteran Mark Brunell.

         With almost no chance of making it to the playoffs this season, Redskins fans have already started thinking about next season’s potential. Watching a young quarterback show flashes of brilliance has been encouraging.

The Plainsman was lucky enough to get to talk to him to see how he’s adjusting to life in the pros.

How do you feel about your level of play so far?

JC- Well, I feel like I’ve done well, but I also saw some things I could improve on. (Such as) You know, seeing a couple throws earlier and getting back to game speed and rhythm and finding chemistry with my receivers. Overall I feel like I’ve done a good job.

Has it been difficult not having a running back like Carnell, Ronnie, or Clinton Portis (who is out for the year with a broken hand) to take the pressure off of you?

JC- We still have some good running backs here, but one thing about me, Ronnie and Carnell is we were together for four years so we knew how to build off each other and play our emotions off each other. Here, I’m just now getting into the starting lineup and trying to feel that with Ladell (Betts) and Clinton (Portis) but with Clinton out right now, you don’t know how it’s going to be without him in there. I think we have a good supporting cast, and I think we just need to keep working as a team.

Do you keep in touch with your teammates from Auburn?

JC- Yeah I talk to all of them. I talk to Reggie Torbor ( New York Giants), Donatarrious Thomas (Minnesota Vikings) Ronnie Brown( Miami Dolphins) Carnell Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)  I talk to everybody.

How have backup quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Todd Collins helped you mature as a quarterback?

JC- They’ve done a lot for me; they keep me calm and relaxed and give me advice on what they think about certain plays.  I’ve really appreciated their help.

How hard has it been to learn a new offense every year since college?

JC-It’s not hard it’s just tiring. You just get tired of learning a new offense every year. You want to get to the point where the offense is second nature to you so you want to stay with one offense for quite a while, but I haven’t had that luxury just yet. It may be difficult but it’s helped me out at the same time.

Are there any similarities between the coaching styles of Coach Tuberville and Coach Gibbs?

JC- They’re totally different, Tuberville is more of a golf man and Gibbs is a NASCAR man. As far as coaching styles, they’re different because the NFL is different than college. In the NFL, you have to deal with NFL personalities. In college it’s different because the guys are just out of high school, and you have to be somewhat of a father figure to them. The guys on an NFL team have already been through that. You really don’t have to show NFL players how to do everything. You just have to make sure that the guys are out there on the field doing what they need to do and playing the best they can.

What do you miss most about Auburn?

JC- Aw man, that team we had in 2004, it was tremendous. I feel like I could’ve played 25 games that year and not have gotten tired. The chemistry we had with each other was amazing. Every week, we felt like we couldn’t be beat by anyone. We played as hard as we could, and took one game at a time and stayed focused.

What are your thoughts about the last two seasons for Auburn?

JC- I thought they had a pretty good chance to succeed last year with all their receivers back and most of the defense. They lost their backfield, but Kenny Irons and Brad Lester stepped up and did a nice job. I was impressed with Brandon (Cox) too.

This  year though, I think injuries hurt them a little bit. Every time I saw them play, Brandon was bandaged up. 

Did you watch many Auburn games this year?

JC- I got a chance to see most of them. I saw the second half of the Iron Bowl. It was kind of scary there for a minute. I wasn’t sure if they were going to pull it out. Things opened up for them at the end. I think the pass to Carl Stewart turned the game around. 

Who do you model yourself after as a quarterback?

JC- There isn’t really anyone in particular. I watch other guys play all the time. I like to watch (Donovan) McNabb, (Steve) McNair and Randall (Cunningham) when I was growing up. You also got to look at Peyton (Manning), what makes him so good? I’ve been watching him on film to see what I can learn from him. He’s been in the same system for nine years now. His first two years weren’t great, but the Colts stayed with him and he’s gotten a lot better since then.

Is there any significance to the number #17?

JC- I wanted to wear the #7 in college, but that was Pat Sullivan’s number so I wore the number #17. When I got to the pros, I wanted to wear #7 again but I couldn’t because it was Joe Theismann’s. I decided to wear #17 again. A lot of people have been the number #17, Doug Williams won a Super Bowl here. It’s a good number.

Did you feel any frustration/bitterness towards the coaching staff for not giving you any playing time before your first start?

JC- No, I wasn’t frustrated at all. I was just hoping that I would be prepared when my number was called.

Were you nervous at all before your first start?

JC- I wouldn’t say I was nervous before the game, I was more nervous when Coach Gibbs first announced it because I didn’t know what to expect.

Were you surprised at the announcement?

JC- A little bit, but at the same time I was excited and ready to prepare for the game.

What is the major difference between the NFL and college?

JC- The speed of the game is a lot different in the pros, but it’s still the same game of football to me.

 

Have you made any rookie mistakes?

JC- I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but you just have to go in there and manage the game as best you can. I’m not afraid to throw the ball, if you start getting afraid you miss out on big plays. At the same time, you go in there and go through your progression and try to the best you can to lead the team.

Are you getting back to that starter’s mentality yet?

JC- Yeah I feel like I’m getting close to the way it was at Auburn. I’m still trying to get to the point where I feel comfortable with guys around me. You have to believe in what you can do. Your teammates know what you can do in practice, but once you get on the field you have to prove yourself all over again to your teammates and the coaching staff. 

How do you build on your performance in your first game?

JC- It’s all about getting into a rhythm and getting used to playing four quarters again. We’re trying to build on team chemistry and so I’m just going to go out there next week and try to get a win. 

Is it hard to live up to the expectations that have been set for you now that you’ve showed yourself to be capable?

JC- No, I really haven’t felt any extra pressure, I just have to go out there and take one play at a time and one snap at a time. We’re going to be playing some tremendous defenses, and I know I’ll have to play better.

Would you say you’re capable of taking this Redskins team to the Super Bowl next year?

JC- I think we have a great chance, because pretty much all the guys on this team are young. If we can just stay healthy all in the same year and stay together, we can do big things. It’s a lot different in NFL than in college. You can come in here one year with the same team, but next year you could lose ten guys. It’s hard keeping that chemistry when you lose guys. Hopefully we can keep guys around.

Do you think Auburn could win a National Championship in the next few years?

JC- We have to wait and see. Every year they lose guys, but you never know because when we went undefeated in 2004, we lost eight or nine people on defense. The defense actually ended up being better statistically in almost every category. They were stopping some of the best offenses in the league. It’s hard to say, but Coach (Kevin) Yoxall (strength and conditioning) does a great job working with those guys over the summer. Tuberville does a good job keeping those guys in check. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did win a title in the next few years. 

Interview was conducted at Redskins Park on 11/21/2006

Published in The Auburn Plainsman on 12/7/2006