FOXBOROUGH – On Friday night, during the Patriots in-stadium practice, Will Campbell got a brief taste of what life will be like when his NFL career begins this September.
The Patriots’ first-round draft pick was all smiles when the 90-minute scrimmage ended. He also created more smiles when he signed autographs for the fans in attendance before departing for the locker room.
“It’s good to get out here on the field you’re going to be playing on, feel the turf for the first time – it’s nice to get out in the stadium,” Campbell said.
For the rookie left tackle, this summer has been all about learning.
The No. 4 overall pick has had some ups and downs in training camp. However, he explained on Friday night that he didn’t view the downs as a bad thing and instead heeded advice from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“Josh McDaniels told me a couple of weeks ago, ‘You don’t lose. You learn or you win,’” Campbell said. “I’m a rookie. I’m out here learning. Some things that I do in college don’t work out here. It’s a different league, so finding what works for me out there. Everything that you do that doesn’t go your way is something that you learn from. It doesn’t count as a loss.”
Considering his draft status, Campbell is under the microscope this summer. Every snap he takes is analyzed. Last week, for example, the rookie had some tough moments. During the Patriots’ first padded practice, Campbell was knocked down by Keion White twice during 1-on-1 drills.
On Wednesday, Campbell also had a tough 11-on-11 period where he was beaten by edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson three times for two sacks and a pressure. The rookie, however, has also shown the ability to bounce back.
He’s beaten White multiple times since that first padded 1-on-1 session. Campbell also finished Wednesday’s practice strong with two clean full-team periods.
The rookie said he doesn’t pay attention to any of the hype or criticism he’s received this summer.
“It is what it is. I don’t really pay attention to nonsense or anything that goes on social media. That can’t help me win a rep or do anything on the field,” Campbell said. “My focus every single day is to come in the building and put my best foot forward, help the team in any way I can.”
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