Army puts positive spin on being drafted
by Pete Cunningham
*As printed April 30, 2008 in The Homer Index

The Detroit Lions made a splash in this past weekend’s NFL draft, but it’s not the kind fans of the Honolulu blue are used to. Yes, they reached their wide receiver quota by picking up Kenneth Moore out of Wake Forest in the fifth round, but his name is not the one which will dominate headlines for weeks to come. That duty will belong to safety Caleb Campbell, Detroit’s seventh round pick out of West Point.

Due to a recently implemented rule by the Army, should Campbell actually make the Lions’ 53-man roster, he would be required to work as an Army recruiter on his NFL off days rather than being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan as is typical of most West Point graduates.

Some are of the opinion that for Campbell to be allowed the opportunity is a disgrace to the military. His commitment to the Army has not been honored and the special treatment is being viewed by some as unfair to the other soldiers.

To this I would argue that Campbell shouldn’t be looked at as someone as “getting out of” his military commitment, but rather someone who is being deployed to an irregular post. The United States military is very calculated in every decision it makes, and allowing Campbell this opportunity is no exception. They think that him playing NFL football will help win wars more so than him actually fighting in it. Not everyone’s duty is on the front line. Some officers are deployed to Japan to be in charge of soldiers working at an embassy. Is this a lesser contribution because it’s not in a war zone?

The same way Bob Hope was more useful on center stage at a USO show rather than on the front lines, the Army thinks Campbell blowing up run coverages will help them more so than if it were an enemy bunker. Don’t see how that’s possible? How many soldiers who were homesick and miserable have benefited from Hope’s entertainment through the years? Campbell succeeding on the field can have that same morale boosting effect.

Should Campbell succeed at the pro level, the vicarious pride his fellow servicemen will experience will be immeasurable. The same way Michiganders puffed out their chests when Lapeer East High School/University of Michigan graduate Jake Long was the Dolphin’s number one overall pick, all soldiers in the armed forces will be provided with a morale boost every time Campbell delivers a hit.

Feeling pride due to the success of others is as inexplicable as it is undeniable. Why does a physics PhD from Florida brag about the Gators’ back-to-back basketball championships? Why do factory workers in Homer boast about the baseball team’s state championships? The same reason I anticipate one day pumping my fist at the news of my alma mater’s football team ending their 50+ game losing streak that dates back to my senior year in high school.

If Campbell makes the team, his war won’t be on an actual battlefield, but that doesn’t mean his contribution can’t be significant. After a couple of months dealing with the Lions front office and recruiting inner city youth in downtown Detroit, he may even be begging for a platoon assignment.

This strong public relations move by the Army, however, may eventually be a terrible one for the Lions. If Campbell gets cut - as is the case with many seventh rounders – he will be shipped to war rather than a free agency pool. As a soldier, this is his commitment, but that doesn’t change the fact that it would be a PR storm more vast than even the Lions have ever experienced should, God forbid, Campbell come back in a body bag.

This puts a new kind of pressure on the Lions’ staff. By deciding whether or not Campbell makes the roster, they aren’t just holding his career in their hands, they very well may be holding his life.

Campbell isn’t receiving special treatment from the Army. The powers that be have determined where he will be most useful and placed him there without bias. Let’s see if the Lions will be able to do the same.