Have you ever played against someone in say a touch football game or a pickup basketball game and you just towered over the guy? I mean you outweighed him by 50 pounds and stood over him by four or five inches? You know in your heart that there is no way that this guy can do anything against you – and then he just goes out and kicks your butt.
Greg Campbell, Jr., is that guy. Often the smallest guy on the field, Campbell plays like a man twice his size. The 6’1”, 185-pound senior has been one of the Roadrunners unquestioned leaders this season. He is one of the few veterans on the offensive side of the ball and he has taken that responsibility and literally and figuratively run with it.
UTSA’s little big man took some time out of his schedule to talk to us about his skills at quarterback, NBC’s The Blacklist, and his desire to prove to everyone he belongs.
EM: Greg, I know you played a lot of positions growing up and that at Atascocita High School, you were a pretty good quarterback. Since you’re a wide receiver now and have a lot of experience under your belt, how would you now assess your skills as a QB back then?
GC: In high school, I was amazing to say the least. [laughs] Naw, I’m just kidding. I was pretty good though. I believe I had the winningest season at Atascocita High School. I think I handled the job really well and led my team really well.
EM: How did you decide to come to UTSA? What was the selling point for you?
GC: If anything, I think the main thing would be that UTSA just felt like home. Coming here, the people, the coaching staff that was here at the time, they just made me feel really comfortable. I spent a lot of time here in San Antonio growing up and that with the fact that it is just three hours from home, it just felt like the right fit for me.
EM: You came in and redshirted your first year here at UTSA. I’ve always been curious, how does one spend their redshirt year? What did you do during that time?
GC: The main thing is try to get as big as you can, work out as much as possible, and try to get an early start on that first year when you don’t have to travel, so you can really focus on your grades and things like that.
You really try to take advantage of not being a football player so much and worrying about the weekend and games. You can grow as a person.
EM: Over your career, you really started progressing and gaining more playing time with each year. Last year, you moved into a starting role and of course you are this year too. How have you developed your game over the years?
GC: I think my knowledge and how I see the game. Mentally, how I prepare for the game, there is a lot more that goes into it. I also take care of my body better to make sure that I’m ready to go each week.
EM: Since you are one of the few holdovers with any kind of experience on offense, I’m assuming you’ve been asked to step into the role of leader. What do you do to be a leader for this team?
GC: Well, first I try to start with my group, the receivers. I try to get my guys going every morning. We practice in the morning, so we’re up at 6 am and have meetings at 7 am. Some guys can kind of be slow, so I try to get guys ready for the day.
I try to make sure they have their heads on straight, even outside of football. We have a lot of young guys so I try to make sure they are having a good time away from home both in football and away from football in their social lives.
I would say I’m probably 80% a lead by example guy. I’ve worked on improving that other 20% of being a vocal leader this year. It is kind of gradually getting better. I’m learning that the guys are responding to me so it hasn’t been that hard for me to be a more vocal leader.
EM: Let’s talk about you off the field for a little bit. What do you do in your spare time, when you’re not studying or getting ready for a game?
GC: I like to hang out with my girlfriend and I like to play video games with my roommate, Kevin Strong. We play video games all of the time. During the season, we don’t do too much so we just like hanging out.
EM: What games are y’all playing right now?
GC: Well NBA 2K19 just came out and we’re big on Fortnite. We also play Madden, you know just the normal stuff.
EM: How about movies? Are you a movie guy?
GC: I’m not really a movie guy, but I do like TV shows. Some of my favorites are definitely Game of Thrones, definitely Ozark, it’s amazing. Oh, and The Blacklist is also amazing and I think everyone should check it out.
EM: Last thing for you Greg and with full transparency, I want to say that I’m a fan of how you play the game. I’m constantly amazed by what you do on the field. A lot of times you are the smallest guy on the field and yet you are the guy who constantly and consistently comes up with the biggest plays. My question is this: how the hell do you do what you do all the time?
GC: [Laughs] Well, I just work, I guess you could say. I have one of the biggest chips on my shoulder. I feel like I’ve been counted out and I feel like I was counted out early on. So, I just like being the guy that the coaches, and the quarterbacks, and the rest of the team trusts to make those big plays.
I know I can make those plays and I just try to focus on being available and come through when my team needs me. To be honest, all I’m thinking is get me the ball. I’m a true competitor in all aspects, so I want the ball and I want to be that guy that the coaches trust in. If I could get the ball on every play, that would be ideal for me. I want to be the guy that does it for the team and I’m ready for it every time.
