Colts' Parris Campbell delivers message during Akron homecoming: 'Nothing ever comes easy'

Parris Campbell didn't hide the number last week when he returned to his hometown of Akron and spoke during a youth football camp on his old St. Vincent-St. Mary stomping grounds.

It's 15.

Injuries have limited Campbell to just 15 games in three NFL regular seasons since the Indianapolis Colts drafted the wide receiver out of Ohio State in the second round (59th overall) in 2019. He has missed 35 of his team's games, including one in the playoffs, during the span.

Campbell is hardly the only professional football player to endure a substantial amount of pain. What's not necessarily common, though, is an active NFL player being as open about injury-related trials and tribulations as Campbell, enters the final season of his rookie contract in the fall.

There is a reason Campbell wants kids to know about the number 15. He hopes they understand adversity is inevitable, but the temptation to give up must be fought.

“From the outside looking in on my career, it's been a battle,” Campbell told the Beacon Journal on Friday before he delivered a speech to kids during a Nike Football Skills Camp at his alma mater. “There's been highs. There's been lows. There's been a lot of lows. I've dealt with a lot of injuries. The thing that I tell people, especially kids, is you've got to go through something to get something.

“Nothing ever comes easy. I want them to know that it's been hard, and that's the reality of it. That's as real as it gets. But I also want them to know when stuff gets hard, you can't just up and run and quit. I want them to know that if you stick something out and you really work hard through it — work through hard times — it's going to pay off.”

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Campbell, 24, said he had never dealt with serious injuries until he reached the NFL.

“Shoot, just being honest with you, it's put me in some of the darkest times of my life just 'cause it's hard when something that you love is taken away from you,” he said. “It's been a lot to battle through, but I'm still standing and looking forward to what's to come.”

Former St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State star Parris Campbell says he doesn't view NFL career as being on its 'last leg'

Campbell trusts a reversal of fortunes is on the horizon. He has caught 34 passes on 53 targets for 360 yards and two touchdowns in his 15 games. As he scored one of those touchdowns — 51 yards against the Houston Texans on Oct. 17 — he suffered a broken foot, causing him to undergo surgery and sit out until the Jan. 9 finale, his sixth game of the season.

In 2020, Campbell suffered torn knee ligaments (MCL and PCL) in the second game and missed the rest of the season. As a rookie in 2019, he had a pulled hamstring, a sports hernia, a broken hand and a broken foot, underwent three surgeries and missed all but seven games.

The circumstances have made 2022 a pivotal year.

“Obviously, the way my career has gone, everybody is like, 'Are you kind of on your last leg?'” Campbell said. “That's not how I view it. I view it as I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm going into my contract year. Obviously, my career has been what it's been. What other way than to thrive?

“All my life, my career path has never been a smooth [one]. I've always had to overcome stuff, and when times were quote, unquote the toughest, I felt like that's when I really thrived. Going into year four, contract year, I'm excited to say the least. We've got Matt Ryan, a great quarterback, a great leader. Our team is as good as it's been. We've got a lot of young talent.”

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Speaking of young talent, Campbell felt nostalgic watching kids participate in the camp on John Cistone Field, where he dominated as a running back for STVM. The high school is near North Hill, the neighborhood in which Campbell played youth football for the Patterson Park Vikings. He was about 6 years old when he got his feet wet in the sport.

“Every time I come back here, it puts a smile on my face 'cause this is where it all started for me,” Campbell said. “This is home. We've got a lot of pride on our shoulders coming from Akron.

“It's a fun experience to come back home and see all these kids 'cause at the end of the day, that's what it's about.”

Now Campbell lives in suburban Indianapolis with his wife, Taylor, their 4-year-old son, Kai, and infant daughter, Skylar. Campbell also visited STVM a few months ago for the filming of an episode of "Kickin' It With The Campbells," a new YouTube series featuring the player and his family. The intent is to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at Campbell and his background.

“You want to be more than a football player. You want people to view you as more. You want to be able to get your other talents out there,” he said. “It was an idea that I actually got from my agency. We just felt like the presence that I had on social media is interesting and my story is interesting.

“For everyone to see what I had to go through to get to where I am today, I think it's interesting, and I think it's inspirational to the kids. They can get on there and watch. It ain't always flowers, roses. It ain't always good times. You've got to go through some struggles.”

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In the second episode of the series, Campbell credits his mother, Shelly Woodruff, for raising him with the assistance of his grandparents. His parents divorced when he was 2.

“I tell my mom all the time she's a big reason why I am who I am today and where I am today,” Campbell said. “She knows that. I'm forever grateful to her for sure.”

In a conversation with Campbell, a camper at STVM said his father routinely drives him to football clinics throughout the country. Campbell's mom ensured he had a similar experience growing up.

“Whatever camp I wanted to go to, my mom was paying the money, signing me up, driving me across the country no matter how far,” Campbell said. “I was just telling [the camper], 'You've got to appreciate that 'cause right now your way of paying your dad back for him doing that is you taking care of your grades, every camp you go to giving it your all, getting better. Obviously, when you come to a camp like this, and you've got professional athletes, then you've got great coaches. Pick their brains. Get as much knowledge as you can. Don't let what [your dad is] doing go to waste.'"

In addition to sidebar discussions, Campbell addressed all of kids who attended the three-day camp — STVM football coach Terry Cistone said 88 were there — signed autographs and posed for photographs. Prior to Campbell's arrival for the camp's second and third days, Browns two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward visited Thursday. Akron natives and former NFL players and Doran Grant and Delone Carter were among the instructors.

Campbell's message stood out.

“He told the kids, 'No excuses.' He didn't have any excuses,” Cistone said. “He told them he's been in the league for three years and only played in 15 games. His message about not quitting and not feeling sorry for himself I thought was good for the kids.”

Campbell's support system has been crucial amid the difficult setbacks he has encountered.

“Family and faith are two things that I rely on daily, whether it's a good time, bad time,” he said. “That's kind of what's built me and what's kept me grounded and really propelled me just to be in this position. My family, they go above and beyond for me.

“My wife, she supports the mess out of me. It's been crazy 'cause every time I'm hurt or have a big surgery, double time falls on her. She's taking care of not only the kids, but she's taking care of me.”

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Campbell added “family is everything” to him. It aided his rise to the pro ranks and keeps him going.

“Nowadays for kids, it's about, 'I've got to get [a scholarship] offer. I've got to get this offer.' I want them to know that it's not easy," Campbell said. "You can hop on social media, see these five-star recruits and they've got this, they've got that, but it comes with work. I want the kids to know that.

“Also, I want the kids to know have fun with it. You're young. You only can play this game for as long as your body allows you to, so you've got to have fun while you're young.”

Campbell is optimistic he'll soon be back to having fun playing the game he cherishes.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Parris Campbell eager for pivotal NFL season with Colts