Will Campbell, the Patriots rookie left tackle, was asked Tuesday what his greatest irrational fear was and then for something that bugs him.<\/b>
\n\u2014 No one tell Will Campbell what Leonard Williams\u2019 nickname is.
Campbell, the Patriots rookie left tackle, was asked Tuesday what his greatest irrational fear was and then for something that bugs him.
\u201cCats,\u201d Campbell said.
Campbell will have to deal with Leonard \u201cBig Cat\u201d Williams in Sunday\u2019s Super Bowl. But he was not referencing the big defensive lineman. He told a story about staying over at a friend\u2019s house in high school and a battle with his pet cat.
\u201cSo crazy,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cI went in the room that I was sleeping in and it was pitch black, dark. You couldn\u2019t see your hand in front of your face. And I take my shirt off, I\u2019m about to get into bed, and I just hear [a screech]. And a cat jumped out from under this bed onto my leg. I booted that thing.\u201d
Did he really kick it?
\u201cYeah, I kicked it,\u201d Campbell said. \u201c[It was] biting me. I\u2019m not gonna just let it.\u201d
On Sunday, the Patriots won\u2019t be worried about Campbell\u2019s disdain for cats. They need him to protect quarterback Drake Maye\u2019s blindside against a strong Seattle pass rush.
Campbell, the No. 4 pick in April, had an up-and-down rookie season that saw him miss four games with an MCL injury.
He injured the knee on Nov. 23 and returned for New England\u2019s regular-season finale on Jan. 4. He admitted Tuesday that he did not feel all the way back until the AFC Championship game.
\u201cI didn\u2019t play for five weeks,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cWhen I did get hurt, I felt like I was playing pretty good ball. Obviously I was disappointed to get hurt. I just felt like last week was the first week that I felt like myself back out there. Just moving around, I had everything. My timing, everything down. I was just excited.\u201d
Campbell has struggled in the playoffs. He gave up 10 pressures and four sacks in the team\u2019s games against the Chargers and Texans. In the AFC title game in Denver, he allowed five pressures but no sacks.
Campbell said coach Mike Vrabel has helped keep his confidence up.
\u201cHe\u2019s great,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to come back for an injury or get hurt in general, but not only Vrabes, all the coaches, all the training staff, my teammates were extremely helpful to me mentally. Just helping me get back and get prepared to go.\u201d<\/p>\n