GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers kept inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell by signing him to a five-year, $50 million contract.
Just because he’s had success, that doesn’t mean Campbell will suddenly become a vocal leader. That’s just not who he is.
“I know what my role is,” said Campbell. “I lead by example. I’ve never been a talker. The contract doesn’t change anything. I still try to lead by example. People don’t care about what you say. They care about actions.”
Fellow Packers linebacker Quay Walker looks up to Campbell.
“Me and him are pretty much similar. We don’t talk as much, but whenever I ask a question, he’s always there for me, so it’s very highly appreciated,” said Walker.
Campbell had quite a journey last year, from unheralded street-free agent to All-Pro. He told me he has no problem staying grounded.
“[It’s the] same approach I’ve had my whole career,” said Campbell. “They love you until they don’t. I play with a chip on my shoulder, whether I had the accolades or not. I’ve always known how good I was. I just finally got an opportunity to showcase it on a national level.”
Campbell has heard the projections of a dominant Packers defense. As you’d expect, he said he believes in reality and production instead of hype.
“We can’t put any expectations on ourselves,” said Campbell. “Only thing we can do is go out and play — just kind of let the chips fall where they may. A lot of people thought what we did last year was a fluke, so we just got to continue to get better every day and go out and show everybody.”
It’s been a while since the Packers had an inside linebacker with the skill set of De’Vondre Campbell.