New England Patriots - NESN.com
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...
