Jihaad Campbell talks growing up an Eagles fan and how his shoulder is recovering from surgery

The Eagles somehow landed Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the No. 31 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and the incoming rookie couldn’t be more excited to get back to Philadelphia. He spoke to reporters shortly after hearing his name called and talked about his role in the defense, how his shoulder is recovering from surgery, and more.

Campbell was quick to admit that he grew up an Eagles fan, especially considering he was raised 30 minutes from Philadelphia. When asked about some of his favorite former players, he named LeSean McCoy, Brandon Graham, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin.

He couldn’t believe when his phone rang and it was the 215 area code. Campbell called it a surreal moment for him and his whole family, citing his grandfather being a fan of Randall Cunningham and always watching and loving the Eagles — along with his parents and siblings.

Here’s what else he had to say:

Aside from building the connection with Coach Washburn, Campbell noted that he only really spoke to the Eagles once during the pre-draft process.

“They’re a very great organization. They have very great coaches, great staff. They make sure the team has great value so we can win — win regular season games, win playoffs, and then most importantly, win the Super Bowl.”

The incoming rookie was asked if he expects to be used as more of an edge rusher than linebacker, but Campbell explained that his role is to be a dominant force on the defense, wherever that ends up being. He also said he doesn’t really have a preference in terms of what position he ends being put in.

“I’m just ready to be the best version of myself each and every day and compete, and be that dominant force at wherever the coach wants to put me.”

Campbell was very familiar with the Eagles defense and some of the things they do with guys like Zack Baun, Nolan Smith, and Nakobe Dean. It’s going to be important for him to be versatile — being in coverage, rushing, rushing through the A-gaps, and blitzing.

He then went on to talk about the motivation behind his desire to always be number one in everything he does. Campbell joked that the mentality was with him when he came out of the womb, but ultimately, his family and those around him helped instill that kind of work ethic. He talked about focus on things like how to maximize nutrition, how to maximize footwork, how to tackle and keep his pads low.

Campbell came out of high school as an edge defender but moved to linebacker in college. He explained that he was able to focus more on coverage because of the work he put in and the like-minded people surrounding him, and the confidence he has helped him step up into different roles.

The rookie later talked about the shoulder surgery he had in March, and said that he expects to be ready to play by training camp but is taking it one day at a time. He didn’t attribute his shoulder injury to him falling to No. 31 despite being considered one of the top players, and said that it was all God’s plan for him to land in Philadelphia.