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University of Minnesota Athletics
Under the Helmet: De'Vondre Campbell
11/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 2, 2015 
In the recruiting hot-bed of Florida, Cypress Lake High School was an afterthought. That made it incredibly difficult for De'Vondre Campbell to get notice for his football prowess. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, the Fort Myers, Fla. product was a starting defensive end who was never contacted by a Division-I program coming out of high school.
After being selected to a local all-star game and putting on an impressive display, Campbell was contacted by Hutchinson Community College to come and play football at one of the nation's premier junior colleges.
"I got a call from this guy from a community college in Kansas," said Campbell. "He was interested in me and I knew nothing about Kansas at all. It was a foreign land to me. The only thing I knew about Kansas was that the Wizard of Oz was filmed there and that was 80-90 years ago."
Campbell eventually found his way to the Sunflower State and was picked up by his soon-to-be coaches. Where he landed was unfamiliar territory both on and off the field as he was asked to move to outside linebacker due to his ability to play standing up and in open space.
"I used to play defensive end before I got [to Hutchinson]," Campbell stated. "I played defensive end my first year, but then I was redshirted. I was transitioning to a different position that I wasn't too familiar with."
After an outstanding spring, Campbell was then noticed by coaching staffs all around the country, including traditional Division-I powers in Kansas State, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas.
"I had a whole bunch of schools coming to talk to me," said Campbell. "I had it narrowed down to three schools: Minnesota, Tennessee and Kansas State."
For the longest time, he was committed to play at Tennessee before the entire coaching staff, highlighted by head coach Derek Dooley, was let go. The Volunteers then hired Butch Jones from Cincinnati and Jones connected with Campbell, but the soon-to-be signee wasn't as comfortable as he was with Dooley.
"With signing day not too far around the corner, I opened up my options," Campbell stated.
Campbell then took a visit to a campus in which he fell in love with - Minnesota.
"After I took my visit, I knew I wanted to come here, but I didn't tell anybody," said Campbell. "I just kept them guessing."
What sold Campbell on Minnesota was not the great atmosphere or chance to play at a high level, it was the recently-hired head coach: Jerry Kill.
"Once I finally met Coach Kill, I learned a lot about him - who he was as a person - and the loyalty he has to his people," said Campbell. "I'm big on loyalty and honesty and that is how I live my life."
What sealed the deal, Campbell expressed, was what Coach Kill did during the recruiting process of the Hutchinson standout.
"Any man that can fly down [to Florida] from Minnesota and tell your parents everything that he's told you means he is authentic," said Campbell. "No other coach did that from any other school.
That moment was when I realized that this is where I wanted to come and that is who I wanted to play for."
It was a perfect match as Campbell has thrived under the tutelage of Kill and his staff. The Hutchinson transfer has 150 career tackles and has had a knack for making big-time plays, including three fumble recovers, two interceptions and a bevy of passed defended.
"The biggest thing about De'Vondre that we liked was his length," said director of recruiting operations Billy Glasscock. "From the defensive standpoint, one of the things we look for is long, athletic and rangy kids that can do a lot of things. He fit the perfect mold for what we were looking for and will continue to look for."
With his goal to get to the NFL, Campbell has made a dream that appeared virtually impossible just a few years ago in Florida into a very realistic possibility.
The average professional linebacker stands at 6-foot-2, 243 pounds, and with an added 24 pounds since stepping foot on campus, Campbell is right on track to fit the desired height and weight of the top tacklers in the NFL. He even possesses the speed to go make plays as he holds high school track records in the 100 and 200 meter dashes that still top the charts to this day.
Campbell can look back on his option to take a risk and attend Hutchinson CC as a stepping stone, but it was his decision to attend Minnesota that has set the redshirt senior up for future success.
"I'm thankful that everything worked because coming here was the best decision I've ever made."
After being selected to a local all-star game and putting on an impressive display, Campbell was contacted by Hutchinson Community College to come and play football at one of the nation's premier junior colleges.
"I got a call from this guy from a community college in Kansas," said Campbell. "He was interested in me and I knew nothing about Kansas at all. It was a foreign land to me. The only thing I knew about Kansas was that the Wizard of Oz was filmed there and that was 80-90 years ago."
Campbell eventually found his way to the Sunflower State and was picked up by his soon-to-be coaches. Where he landed was unfamiliar territory both on and off the field as he was asked to move to outside linebacker due to his ability to play standing up and in open space.
"I used to play defensive end before I got [to Hutchinson]," Campbell stated. "I played defensive end my first year, but then I was redshirted. I was transitioning to a different position that I wasn't too familiar with."
After an outstanding spring, Campbell was then noticed by coaching staffs all around the country, including traditional Division-I powers in Kansas State, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas.
"I had a whole bunch of schools coming to talk to me," said Campbell. "I had it narrowed down to three schools: Minnesota, Tennessee and Kansas State."
For the longest time, he was committed to play at Tennessee before the entire coaching staff, highlighted by head coach Derek Dooley, was let go. The Volunteers then hired Butch Jones from Cincinnati and Jones connected with Campbell, but the soon-to-be signee wasn't as comfortable as he was with Dooley.
"With signing day not too far around the corner, I opened up my options," Campbell stated.
Campbell then took a visit to a campus in which he fell in love with - Minnesota.
"After I took my visit, I knew I wanted to come here, but I didn't tell anybody," said Campbell. "I just kept them guessing."
What sold Campbell on Minnesota was not the great atmosphere or chance to play at a high level, it was the recently-hired head coach: Jerry Kill.
"Once I finally met Coach Kill, I learned a lot about him - who he was as a person - and the loyalty he has to his people," said Campbell. "I'm big on loyalty and honesty and that is how I live my life."
What sealed the deal, Campbell expressed, was what Coach Kill did during the recruiting process of the Hutchinson standout.
"Any man that can fly down [to Florida] from Minnesota and tell your parents everything that he's told you means he is authentic," said Campbell. "No other coach did that from any other school.
That moment was when I realized that this is where I wanted to come and that is who I wanted to play for."
It was a perfect match as Campbell has thrived under the tutelage of Kill and his staff. The Hutchinson transfer has 150 career tackles and has had a knack for making big-time plays, including three fumble recovers, two interceptions and a bevy of passed defended.
"The biggest thing about De'Vondre that we liked was his length," said director of recruiting operations Billy Glasscock. "From the defensive standpoint, one of the things we look for is long, athletic and rangy kids that can do a lot of things. He fit the perfect mold for what we were looking for and will continue to look for."
With his goal to get to the NFL, Campbell has made a dream that appeared virtually impossible just a few years ago in Florida into a very realistic possibility.
The average professional linebacker stands at 6-foot-2, 243 pounds, and with an added 24 pounds since stepping foot on campus, Campbell is right on track to fit the desired height and weight of the top tacklers in the NFL. He even possesses the speed to go make plays as he holds high school track records in the 100 and 200 meter dashes that still top the charts to this day.
Campbell can look back on his option to take a risk and attend Hutchinson CC as a stepping stone, but it was his decision to attend Minnesota that has set the redshirt senior up for future success.
"I'm thankful that everything worked because coming here was the best decision I've ever made."
Players Mentioned
LB
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