Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell believes he’s the first in his lineage to visit a plastic surgeon.
A third-year linebacker out of Iowa, Campbell paid a visit to a doctor to have a cut on his face stitched up following Monday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens. The injury, which he says he suffered when he was accidentally kicked in the face helping a teammate up, required several stitches.
Campbell, who has become the team’s MIKE linebacker in his third NFL campaign, did not miss a snap according to the NFL’s snap count records despite bleeding out of his face for a portion of the second half.
Upon feeling the blood, the defender initially thought he had bit the inside of his lip. However, on his trip to the sideline, he entered the medical tent with trainers and learned that the cut was more severe than he thought.
“I was like, ‘This is really weird, and that probably shouldn’t be that way.’ At that point, I got it patched up and it was all good. After the game, that’s when I really noticed that this is really disgusting,” Campbell said. “At first, I thought I bit my tongue or I bit the inside of my mouth. And then it kept bleeding. I got over to the sideline, and the trainer’s like, ‘Let’s get in the tent.’ I get in the tent, and I felt them pushing the skin together and it felt really weird. Then I got in the locker room, I looked in the mirror and was like, ‘It ain’t that bad. It’s just a scratch.’ Then it just opened up. They just glued it during the game.”
Campbell told reporters that he has dealt with other similar ailments during his athletic career, including a basketball game in which he cut his head open after getting elbowed in the head.
He downplayed what it took to remain in the game, indicating that the adrenaline of playing in a primetime game against a big opponent took away any feelings of pain.
“People try to make it seem like it’s super tough, I feel like a lot a people if they put their mind to it can do it,” Campbell said. “All you’ve got to be able to do is be able to breathe, say the call and breathe, and you’re all good.”
The linebacker did not seem to think that he would have issues with this going forward, as the stitches repaired the damage.
“No, we got it fixed. It was super easy. I’m telling you, anyone can do this,” Campbell explained. “They act like it’s crazy. You get in the game, your adrenaline is going, you don’t feel anything.”
Continued progress
Campbell has seen his role expand greatly since his rookie season. After playing in a rotational role to begin his career, a strong second season has led to him becoming a true centerpiece in the Lions’ defense.
That was on full display Monday, as Campbell made a key defensive play in the win. With the Ravens facing a fourth-and-goal deep in Lions territory, the linebacker spilled star quarterback Lamar Jackson out of the pocket and strip-sacked the passer to force a turnover on downs.
Continued growth has been a focus for the linebacker, who has seemed to adjust to his role as the middle linebacker nicely.
“Just gotta keep progressing. There’s always things you can improve. For me, I feel like I’ve done a good job communicating and getting everybody in the right call so I need to continue that. We’ll see, just gotta take it one day at a time.”