Defensive lineman ready to mentor pair of first-round picks

Darren Urban

Thirty-eight-year-oldCalais Campbellremembers being a "young buck" when veteran safety Adrian Wilson gave him a hard time after a Cardinals practice years ago.

"For him, it was just one day of him being a leader and he won't even remember it," Campbell said Thursday as he and his teammates wrapped up their final day of minicamp and the offseason program. "For me, it was a big impact on my career.

"I had to be better, and I got better because I wanted his respect. But I also learned, with leadership, you have to be able to communicate with guys and help them along the way, and sometimes it's not being their best friend but being honest and direct."

The defensive lineman, heading into his 18th NFL season andfirst back with the Cardinals after leaving as a free agentfollowing the 2016 season, is in a different place in his career. He has already acknowledged that while he thinks he can still dominate a game, it has to be in smaller doses, like 30 to 35 snaps. He said he's in a good place physically after the three days of mandatory minicamp (he did not take part in voluntary work) and knowing exactly how his body needs to be going into training camp at his age.

What he is prepared for is not only to aid the defensive line on the field but also in the meeting and locker rooms, where the Cardinals have back-to-back first-round picks invested in the position (Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen III.)

Mentoring younger players is going to be natural, Campbell said, because teammates will ask questions of a player who has lasted 18 seasons. How much that veteran wants to put into teaching is a different story, but Campbell sees it as an "honor."

"I enjoy passing knowledge," Campbell said. "I feel there is no point for me to die with all this knowledge, to the graveyard at the end of my career. I have to share with as many people as possible. Especially people that are going to help us win ballgames.

"If I help them to a level that's better than me, then the team is better and I will find my role and make it work."

Campbell already carries with him a respect throughout the roster second-year running back Trey Benson's eyes lit up Thursday when he mentioned Campbell had followed him on Instagram and already was seen talking shop with fellow newcomers Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson at practice.

"I always say if you want to learn ball, talk to the players," coach Jonathan Gannon said.

Robinson called Campbell "legendary," while Campbell said Robinson in a small way reminds him of his younger self.

"I want to learn as much as I can," Robinson said. "He was here in the beginning. He shows the standard of what I expect from myself."

Tomlinson, himself going into his ninth NFL season, told Campbell the two veterans can learn from the younger players in addition to teaching, and both Tomlinson and Campbell references how tight-knit the defensive line room was already.

That it is happening back with the Cardinals is important to Campbell.

"This is where I learned how to be an NFL football player," he said.

Now Campbell has the chance to make Arizona the same kind of place for a couple of his teammates.

WILL JOHNSON LIMITED BECAUSE OF HAMSTRING

Gannon said it was a tight hamstring that kept rookie cornerback Will Johnson from doing everything during the three days of minicamp, although he wasn't sidelined. It was a hamstring issue that kept Johnson from participating this offseason in the Scouting combine or Michigan's pro day.

Gannon added Johnson will be ready to begin training camp.