Something needed to be said, and Amare Campbell knew it.
The sophomore linebacker, playing his first game back in his home state, had just seen Virginia waltz down to the goal line against Carolina on its opening drive. The Cavaliers had to settle for a field goal, but the Tar Heels were still trailing. During a four-game losing streak, it’s easy for these things to snowball.
So Campbell, who turned 19 in August, spoke up.
“Whenever we get off the field, everybody’s in their own little pods,” Campbell said. “So I just felt like I should speak and tell everyone, ‘Keep doing what we’re doing. Trust each other. Play for each other.’ That was the main message.”
Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, normally the one to do the talking on the sidelines, stepped back and let Campbell deliver his message. The veteran coach walked away impressed with his young playmaker taking charge.
“It was awesome to see,” said Collins. “How he did it, the respect that was gained from that moment. It was just, ‘Alright, OK. I’m gonna listen to what he says. We’re good. Let’s just keep it moving.’ His voice, his presence, was solidified in that moment. And you can see the confidence, the belief, the trust.”
After Campbell’s impromptu team meeting, the Tar Heels buckled down and suffocated the Cavalier offense, even notching a defensive score along the way. The next week at Florida State was more of the same, with UNC holding the Seminole offense down in a comfortable victory.
As a team, Carolina sacked the quarterback 17 times (notably mirroring Campbell’s jersey number) in those two wins, rocketing the Tar Heels up into the Top 5 nationally for the season. Campbell’s fingerprints are all over the strong run of play, with sacks in each of the last two games and five of UNC’s 32 this year. The true sophomore has claimed the “Mike” linebacker position as his own, and Collins knows it.
“Amare’s got a presence about him,” Collins said. “Even when he just walks in a room, [it’s], ‘OK, Amare’s here.’ I’ve coached a lot of guys that have that, a lot of great players that have that, and Amare Campbell’s one of them that has that presence about him, that confidence about him. It’s not arrogant; it’s just, ‘17’s ready to go. Let’s go. 17 said this? That’s what we’re doing.’ And that’s a really cool thing, especially at the position he plays.”
Despite his age, Campbell said acts of leadership are second nature to him, particularly after the Tar Heels’ struggles during the previous month.
“It came naturally, in a sense,” he said. “Just the reps I have and the trust I have with my teammates, I feel like they respect me enough to where I can speak up and be that leader.”
You won’t hear any arguments from other Tar Heel defenders. Veteran safety Will Hardy said Campbell’s natural leadership ability was evident from the first moment he stepped on campus.
“You could tell he’s just a really good player, a really mature player from the get-go,” Hardy said. “And then this year, taking over a big role, moving into the Mike, being the leader. He can talk to the D-line, he can talk to the safeties, so he’s in the middle of the defense getting everybody aligned right. It’s been very valuable. He’s done a great job. He plays with confidence, he plays really fast, and he’s just fun to be around.”
Why is Campbell so popular? Take a look back at Jahvaree Ritzie’s long interception return for a touchdown against Virginia, just about two hours after Campbell delivered his speech. As Ritzie ambles down the sideline, Campbell sprints ahead of him and throws a key block, helping send the lineman on his way to the end zone.
iF hE CaN cAtCh HiS bReAtH@jahvaree got 84 yards of pure speed down the sideline 😁
📺 @TheCW pic.twitter.com/nDvGckCXzB
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 26, 2024
It didn’t show up in the box score, but anyone who watched the play saw the impact of Campbell’s effort. And the sophomore said that drive hasn’t gone unnoticed around the locker room: he’s earned the trust of his teammates.
“I knew, but it’s good to hear it,” Campbell said. “To hear it from someone older than you. Me being a 19-year-old true sophomore, it’s good to hear a four-year, five-year guy tell me that they trust me with everything.”
Now, Campbell will lead the resurgent UNC defense against Wake Forest, with Carolina looking to clinch bowl eligibility with two games in hand. That would’ve been hard to believe a month ago, but the Tar Heels have executed a hairpin turn to reverse the course of their season.
All it took was a teenager’s pep talk.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines