Football can change things in the blink of an eye, and yesterday’s game was a painful reminder of that reality. Neither Jack Campbell nor T.J. Hockenson anticipated that they would be part of one of the most frightening plays of the NFL this year. The Lions linebacker suffered a serious neck injury while attempting to tackle the Vikings tight end.
Following the game, Hockenson was asked about the moment, and he gave a thoughtful and compassionate response.
“Prayers out to Jack Campbell, man, and his family. I was on that flight and see what happened. That’s an Iowa guy; I know Jack, and I just wanna send good vibes to him and his family and his locker room,” Hockenson said. ”We’re competitors, but at the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We put our bodies on the line every Sunday. We go out there, and we know what we signed up for.”
“You never wanna see anybody go down at the end of the day. Get down on our knees, say a prayer, and hope for the best,” he continued. “God has got him in his hands, and he has got a plan for him. You gotta keep playing, unfortunately, and you gotta get back into the mindset that the game goes on. Obviously, for him and his family, I know how much it impacts them. I have been injured.”
Hockenson And Campbell’s Shared Football Ties Add Context To His Reaction
T.J. Hockenson and Jack Campbell have some similarities. He has history at Ford Field. The two-time Pro-Bowler started playing for the Vikings in 2022, but before that he spent his first four seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions, as he was a first-round pick from the 2019 draft.
As he was traded to the Vikings in the middle of the 2022 campaign, he did not share the Lions locker room with Jack Campbell, who joined the franchise in 2023 as a first-round pick. Besides playing for the same NFL team, they also attended the same university.
Before the Lions picked Hockenson in the draft, he played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college football until 2018. A year later, Campbell joined the same university and played there until 2022. While the duo may not be close friends, the incident certainly took an emotional toll on the Vikings star, as he appeared visibly shaken after what happened during the play.
The Pro-Bowler’s injury was a crushing blow for the Lions’ defense, but they still managed to keep their nerves until the end yesterday.
Lions’ Linebacker Depth Could Be Tested After Jack Campbell’s Injury
Given that Jack Campbell is a defensive captain, it was a big loss for Kelvin Sheppard in the early fourth quarter. Lions were leading 12-7 at the time of the injury but managed to win the game 19-15.
With Jimmy Rolder also injured, the Lions may have to rely on the internal depth in the next game against the Dolphins. In that case, Derrick Barnes might move to the middle, while Malcolm Rodriguez might play a pivotal role in the LB room. Then Trevor Nowaske and Amen Ogbongbemiga remain other potential options for Dan Campbell.
T.J. Hockenson Breaks Silence After His Play With Jack Campbell Results in Neck Injury