It was not a Super Bowl to remember for former LSU and Neville football star Will Campbell. The rookie offensive tackle for the Patriots allowed two sacks and 14 pressures according to Next Gen Stats as Seattle defeated New England 29-13. Campbell did not speak with reporters after the game and on Tuesday he apologized for not making himself available on Sunday night.
“I just had a lot of emotions. Obviously, going after a tough loss, a long year, Just a lot of emotions come with that. I just wanted to make sure that I had my head on properly before I said anything,” Campbell explained.
Campbell has received a lot of criticism for his play in the Super Bowl and he says it comes with the job.
“Whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s okay, buddy.’ I mean, obviously, it sucks, but it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me,” Campbell said.
Campbell suffered a knee injury in week 12 of the regular season. But returned for the regular season finale and protected New England quarterback Drake Maye’s blindside throughout the postseason. Campbell says his knee is still not 100%, but he’s not making excuses.
“When you tear a ligament in your knee, it’s not going to be like it was before, but I was healthy,” Campbell said.
Patriots coach Matt Vrabel says Campbell will get stronger and better and there are no plans to move him off of left tackle.