Panthers OL coach James Campen goes viral for eccentric ritual
Carolina Panthers offensive line coach James Campen loves football.
Oh, wait. We’re sorry. It looks as though we’ll have to clarify a bit more . . .
Carolina Panthers offensive line coach James Campen loves footballs.
In an unused cut from the team’s latest episode of “Camp Confidential,” cameras caught the 58-year-old coach in an intimate pregame moment with some pigskin. He was also caught by quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold—who had a pair of appropriate reactions to the, uh, passionate ritual.
Ahhhh the smell of football 🏈 pic.twitter.com/y30kPVSBde
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 5, 2022
Apparently, at least according to Mayfield, Campen has been kissing the laces of footballs “ever since high school.” So perhaps a congratulations of sorts is in order, as Campen has kept this loving relationship going for about 40 years strong.
Not surprisingly, the game and the players he’s crossed paths with along the way have loved Campen back. Heck, even Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers loves the guy—and that’s really saying something.
So, yes—between his highly-acclaimed coaching skills and his delightful eccentricities, it’s not hard to see why there’s so much adoration.
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