The Midshipmen's Slow Burner

Off the Field, Speedy Slotback in No Hurry

On his way to class in Annapolis, Reggie Campbell plods, one foot in front of the other at such a slow pace that classmates stride past him. He's the guy who walks so slowly, others are forced to walk around him. Campbell admits he gets in the way.

You would never guess that someone with such a patient gait could be so quick on the football field.

It's late July, a week before he's required to be back at the Naval Academy for preseason practice, and Campbell is at his family's home in Sanford, Fla. He's lounging, watching a Will Ferrell movie and talking about his spare-time activities that include bowling and fishing with some of his teammates. He describes himself as "not in a rush all the time."

It's difficult to reconcile this image with the player who led the Midshipmen as a sophomore last season with 1,115 all-purpose yards, including 514 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

When he's not on the field, the last thing you'll find Campbell doing is rushing.

"It's the relaxation," Campbell said about his preference for fishing. "Sometimes we have a fish-off, but other times we're just kicking back and relaxing from a long day and just slowing it down a bit."

Slow it down. Speed it up. Is it similar to a light switch, whereby Campbell decides in a split-second whether he wants to go fast or slow? Campbell said he didn't even realize he was a slow walker until someone pointed it out to him. No one could understand how someone so fast could move so slowly. It must be automatic.

Campbell's performance in last year's Poinsettia Bowl, in which the Midshipmen beat Colorado State, 51-30, demonstrated his quickness. Named the game's offensive MVP, the slotback scored five touchdowns in the game, three on rushes of 22, 2 and 21 yards. In the process, Campbell tied the NCAA record for most touchdowns scored in a bowl game.

His explanation of the achievement was simple.

"I think I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time," Campbell said. "Coach was calling the plays and it just happened to be to my side and we kind of rolled with it."

That description may fit hindsight, but for the Midshipmen's defense watching from the sidelines, Campbell's performance seemed more calculated than "rolling with it."

Senior cornerback Jeremy McGown remembers feeling as if every time he glanced at the scoreboard, Campbell was running for another touchdown.