Why NFL Legend Confident Will Campbell Will ‘Thrive’ With Patriots

Andrew Whitworth believes it’s the perfect pairing. 

It’s not just because Will Campbell is talented and tough and was drafted at a position of dire need for the New England Patriots. It’s not just based on the belief Campbell will put exhaustive effort into improving his toolbox behind the scenes, a quality every team desires in a young player. It’s not only because Campbell’s “F— it” mindset mirrors that of Mike Vrabel, according to a 16-year offensive tackle who went helmet-to-helmet with the Patriots head coach. It’s also not strictly rooted in the fact that there’s a little bit of northern Louisiana in Foxboro, Mass., an opinion expressed by the 318 native.

It’s all of the above.

“I think the guy’s got talent, he’s got ability, he’s got the right character, and he’s got ‘chase it’ to him and he’s tough as s—,” Whitworth told NESN.com during a video interview, which you can watch here.  

Whitworth is uniquely qualified to make such a declaration. He was a highly touted prospect out of West Monroe High (La.), a neighboring rival of Campbell’s Neville High School (Monroe, La.) Whitworth served as the left tackle of the LSU Tigers two decades before Campbell arrived in Baton Rouge, but both were pillars of their respective teams while claiming All-SEC honors. Whitworth then had a legendary career in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with a pair of All-Pro selections.

Campbell looked up to Whitworth from a very young age with a sense of pride in a fellow northern Louisiana kid making it big while sharing countless similarities with him. They formed a close connection over the years. Whitworth shared tips and advice with an eager-to-learn Campbell.

When Whitworth says New England is an environment Campbell will thrive in, it carries weight. 

“When you look at Gillette, and you look at that setup in Foxboro, that is Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana on a much bigger scale,” Whitworth said. “That sense of pride and that element he’s going to be in is going to remind him a lot of playing in north Louisiana and the environment he had there.”

Having taken the field in front of 102,321 screaming fans at Tiger Stadium will help, too, as Campbell expressed during his Patriots introduction. 

“The pride that people all across the south of Louisiana and north Louisiana have in the LSU Tigers, bleeding purple and gold. That’s the element he’s walking into in New England,” Whitworth said. “I think that is going to be something that’s going to make him thrive. That is the feeling that he loves, and he’s been around. It’s natural to him.”

There’s more to it than just the small-town feel where Campbell can hunt and fish, which the rookie apparently is already looking forward to.

Campbell is armed with a tenacity and toughness that Whitworth believes will jump-start New England’s rebuild. The NFL analyst said that’s why he feels Campbell is fully capable of sticking at left tackle, despite the external critiques about his lack of length. He believes Campbell could serve as the leader in the Patriots offensive line room in short order, as well.

It helps that there’s already the perfect head coach in place, too. Whitworth pointed to Vrabel’s playing days with Matt Light (2001-08), referencing his friend as a “good old boy” similar to Campbell with his size and off-field interests. Whitworth also reflected on Vrabel’s well-documented connection with former Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan. Lewan was more of a maniac than Campbell, Whitworth said, but their on-field demeanor is closely aligned.

“He wanted to play nasty, physical football,” Whitworth said of Lewan, a first-round pick in 2014 who earned three Pro Bowl honors.

Campbell described his own play style as “nasty” minutes after he was drafted.

“Mike Vrabel being built how he’s built — he’s got a lot of ‘F-it’ in himself,” Whitworth said. “I think he sees him (Will) as a guy that’s like, ‘Hey, man, I can see a little myself in him. And I’m going to be able to let him be this guy who’s going to lead this group and set the tone day in and day out for us, and really build the physical mentality side of what I want my offense to look like.'”

That style is exactly what Whitworth would desire in a draftee, as well. Especially a player selected fourth overall. While talent is the most important thing, there’s more required to become a foundational piece. If talent is 1A, then “chase-it” demeanor, as Whitworth called it, is 1B.

“They are thirsty to figure out what it means to be the best at their craft,” explained Whitworth. “You find that in them. Do they have that in them? That to me is one of the biggest things because I don’t care about talent if it doesn’t have that ability to go chase success. I think Will has that.”

Another reason they’re perfect for each other: The Patriots are chasing success themselves.