Calais Campbell spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time since his mother's death in July, opening with a statement of gratitude before saying he was ready to take football questions.
"I just wanted to say these last couple of months have been pretty hard, pretty tough for me and my family, but we are working through it," Campbell said. "I really appreciate all the love and support and the prayers that have been coming from all over — really from all the NFL community, all the fan bases and you guys as well. I appreciate the prayers. Continue praying for us because we need it."
Campbell, 39, is entering his 19th NFL season and remains the league's oldest active defensive player. He's back in Baltimore this year after a previous stint with the Ravens, a return he's talked about in terms of watching former young teammates like Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Hamilton grow into the team's current stars. Campbell is one of eight children in a close-knit family — five brothers and two sisters — and Ciarre, one of those five brothers, was charged with murder after Nateal Campbell, 71, was found dead at her home in Atlanta in late June; he remains held without bond. The family asked for privacy at the time to grieve, and Campbell mostly kept the conversation Tuesday to what's ahead this season rather than the details of the past two months.
"I love the game of football a lot, and it just brings me joy," Campbell said, when asked whether he ever considered sitting out this season. "The training was adjusted a little bit. It was a little harder to train. But as far as football goes, I love this game a lot, and this is a very fun place for me to be. Playing football has been great for me." He said the Ravens' coaching staff gave him space early in camp to work himself back into shape at his own pace, after the tragedy disrupted his usual offseason preparation. "I feel really good about where I am at," he said.
Head coach Jesse Minter addressed Campbell's situation directly before the team left for joint practices with the Vikings this week, making clear the organization has tried to build in room for him without lowering expectations for what he brings on the field. "I have seen exactly what I thought we'd be getting, which is a tremendous leader, but a really good football player that will add a lot in our normal downs, add a lot on our third downs, brings great versatility along the D-line," Minter said. "The timing of it, obviously, was really tough for him and his family, but allowed the first week or two of camp for him to really kind of work himself to get ready, as it affected his summer preparation, obviously. We are just really happy with Calais and really happy that we have him."
Defensive line coach Lou Esposito, who works with Campbell daily, described him less in terms of what he's dealing with and more in terms of what he continues to give to everyone around him. "He is literally the best person I have ever met in my life," Esposito said. "How he pays it forward — my 10-year-old twins came to a practice, and he walked off the field for 15 minutes with my son Anthony, and my son Anthony is like, 'Hey dad, that big guy is my favorite player of all time.'"
That description matched the way Campbell talked about his own role with the team Tuesday — as someone still very much focused on the young players around him, even in the middle of his own grief. He spoke at length about mentoring Baltimore's younger defensive linemen, from established players like Madubuike to rookies fighting for roster spots, saying he's fielded more questions from teammates this camp than in any of his 18 previous NFL seasons. "I have a lot of information to give, and I love to give it," he said. "I am very grateful that guys still value my opinions and things I have to offer."
September, he said, cannot come soon enough.