Temple University Athletics
WR Michael Campbell
Michael Campbell: Persevering with Love & Loyalty
10.21.10 | Football
Gameday Program Feature Story
by Cathy Bongiovi, Athletic Communications
Michael Campbell was just seven years old when his mother made a decision that would shape his life.
“She brought me over to the field and said, 'You're going to start playing football',” he shared.
A single mother working three jobs to support herself and a young son, Joanne Morrison hoped Pop Warner football would keep Michael out of trouble. But it wasn't enough.
Living in New Jersey, Morrison reached out for help, sending her son to live with family in her native Jamaica twice during his youth.
“I lived in Jamaica on two different occasions for about a year each time,” Campbell said. “(The first time I was) young, then once again from ages 11-12.”
“She sent me there by myself, sent me on the plane, sent me on my way for discipline reasons. I was bad,” he recalled.
But being away from his mother and the United States helped Campbell realize what was important.
“It definitely makes you appreciate things more when you see what other people have and don't have,” he said. “You learn to appreciate things. I think that's the reason why my mom sent me down there.”
Once back in New Jersey, Campbell concentrated on sports. In high school he was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, basketball, and track. And he began to flourish.
A 2007 graduate of Edison High School, Campbell made 39 receptions for 745 yards and 14 TDs, while totaling 74 total points as a senior, to earn Newark Star Ledger first-team All-Middlesex honors under head coach Matt Fulham. Named the MVP of the 2007 New York/New Jersey All-Star Classic, he was also selected to play in the 2007 New Jersey North-South All-Star Game.
When it came time to pick a college, Campbell thought his choice would be easy.
“I always wanted to go to Rutgers, being that it was right there at home,” he said. “But throughout the whole process of recruiting, Temple was loyal to me. The coaches stuck by me no matter what-- whether they thought I would get the grades to make it. They were at my basketball games, my basketball practice. I remember once I was at a track meet, and I looked up. The coaches were there at the track meet. They were there through everything, and I felt they stuck by my side. That's why I chose Temple.”
During his time on the North Broad Street campus, Campbell has seen many changes.
“When I first came here as a freshman, all of us played. There was nobody to really look up to,” he said. “We had to find out pretty much on our own. We had to make mistakes on our own and learn from those mistakes.”
As a true freshman in 2007, Campbell played in nine games with four starts. He was one of 20 true freshmen to see game action and one of 12 true freshmen to earn a starting role as the Owls sports the youngest team in the nation for the second consecutive year.
“As a freshman out there playing on the field, it's like everything's moving so fast. You're nervous. You lose all technique,” Campbell said. “You're so consumed with everything that you're not playing well. That was the issue for me.”
As a sophomore, Campbell played in just nine games while nursing an injury. Last fall as a junior, he played in all 13 games with four starts. Campbell led the Owls in receiving with 419 yards and three touchdowns on 27 receptions.
“The older you get, the more experience you get. Going through things you learn a lot,” he said. “That's what I try to teach the young guys. I try to give them as much-- anything that I know or I've picked up on-- I try to teach them so they don't have to make a mistake on the field.”
Now as a senior, the wide receiver is relaxed and enjoying the ride.
“Now it's like the game's slowed down for me. I'm not nervous anymore, I'm having fun, and that's what it's about,” Campbell said.
Wide receivers coach Rob Spence knows Campbell works to improve himself each week.
“Michael's a student of the game. He has been relentless in his daily preparation to reach his personal and team goals,” Spence said. “Any coach would love to coach this guy!”
A public relations major, Campbell would like to work in sports. But before his playing career is over, he wants to share what he's learned with his younger teammates.
“Don't let anybody tell you what you can and can't do, because when you work hard and put your mind to it, the sky is the limit basically,” Campbell said. “I think of guys like Matt Brown. He wasn't even supposed to be at this level, and you see what he's doing out there on the field. He's making a name for himself. Don't let what someone says stop you from doing what you want to do in your life.”
Michael Campbell was just seven years old when his mother made a decision that would shape his life.
“She brought me over to the field and said, 'You're going to start playing football',” he shared.
A single mother working three jobs to support herself and a young son, Joanne Morrison hoped Pop Warner football would keep Michael out of trouble. But it wasn't enough.
Living in New Jersey, Morrison reached out for help, sending her son to live with family in her native Jamaica twice during his youth.
“I lived in Jamaica on two different occasions for about a year each time,” Campbell said. “(The first time I was) young, then once again from ages 11-12.”
“She sent me there by myself, sent me on the plane, sent me on my way for discipline reasons. I was bad,” he recalled.
But being away from his mother and the United States helped Campbell realize what was important.
“It definitely makes you appreciate things more when you see what other people have and don't have,” he said. “You learn to appreciate things. I think that's the reason why my mom sent me down there.”
Once back in New Jersey, Campbell concentrated on sports. In high school he was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, basketball, and track. And he began to flourish.
A 2007 graduate of Edison High School, Campbell made 39 receptions for 745 yards and 14 TDs, while totaling 74 total points as a senior, to earn Newark Star Ledger first-team All-Middlesex honors under head coach Matt Fulham. Named the MVP of the 2007 New York/New Jersey All-Star Classic, he was also selected to play in the 2007 New Jersey North-South All-Star Game.
When it came time to pick a college, Campbell thought his choice would be easy.
“I always wanted to go to Rutgers, being that it was right there at home,” he said. “But throughout the whole process of recruiting, Temple was loyal to me. The coaches stuck by me no matter what-- whether they thought I would get the grades to make it. They were at my basketball games, my basketball practice. I remember once I was at a track meet, and I looked up. The coaches were there at the track meet. They were there through everything, and I felt they stuck by my side. That's why I chose Temple.”
During his time on the North Broad Street campus, Campbell has seen many changes.
“When I first came here as a freshman, all of us played. There was nobody to really look up to,” he said. “We had to find out pretty much on our own. We had to make mistakes on our own and learn from those mistakes.”
As a true freshman in 2007, Campbell played in nine games with four starts. He was one of 20 true freshmen to see game action and one of 12 true freshmen to earn a starting role as the Owls sports the youngest team in the nation for the second consecutive year.
“As a freshman out there playing on the field, it's like everything's moving so fast. You're nervous. You lose all technique,” Campbell said. “You're so consumed with everything that you're not playing well. That was the issue for me.”
As a sophomore, Campbell played in just nine games while nursing an injury. Last fall as a junior, he played in all 13 games with four starts. Campbell led the Owls in receiving with 419 yards and three touchdowns on 27 receptions.
“The older you get, the more experience you get. Going through things you learn a lot,” he said. “That's what I try to teach the young guys. I try to give them as much-- anything that I know or I've picked up on-- I try to teach them so they don't have to make a mistake on the field.”
Now as a senior, the wide receiver is relaxed and enjoying the ride.
“Now it's like the game's slowed down for me. I'm not nervous anymore, I'm having fun, and that's what it's about,” Campbell said.
Wide receivers coach Rob Spence knows Campbell works to improve himself each week.
“Michael's a student of the game. He has been relentless in his daily preparation to reach his personal and team goals,” Spence said. “Any coach would love to coach this guy!”
A public relations major, Campbell would like to work in sports. But before his playing career is over, he wants to share what he's learned with his younger teammates.
“Don't let anybody tell you what you can and can't do, because when you work hard and put your mind to it, the sky is the limit basically,” Campbell said. “I think of guys like Matt Brown. He wasn't even supposed to be at this level, and you see what he's doing out there on the field. He's making a name for himself. Don't let what someone says stop you from doing what you want to do in your life.”
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