Jack Campbell: good as hell at football. I mean, you already knew this, of course -- you watched the game on Saturday and you've been watching him play for the last four seasons. He's outstanding and rapidly moving up the list of all-time best Iowa linebackers -- if he's not already there. His efforts against Minnesota earned him some very deserved Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors:
Congrats to the #B1GFootball Defensive Player of the Week: @HawkeyeFootballs Jack Campbell!
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 21, 2022
https://t.co/7QOjKyGm8L pic.twitter.com/ibEcX2W3Jc
Again, you know why: he had 10 tackles, a QB hurry, a forced fumble, and an interception. The last two plays came in the fourth quarter and were integral to Iowa's eventual victory. The forced fumble saved the game for Iowa -- Minnesota was in the midst of an epic drive encompassing most of the fourth quarter that seemed destined to end with points that would have given Minnesota the lead. The interception effectively won the game for Iowa -- it gave Iowa field position near midfield and, a handful of plays later, resulted in Drew Stevens' game-winning field goal kick. (And, yes, I still think the interception should have been a pick-six for Campbell, even if the way things played out was actually fine.)
The Pick-6 was taken off the board (stepped out of bounds), but it's still an INT.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 20, 2022
Jack Campbell and the @HawkeyeFootball defense keep making plays. pic.twitter.com/tmgMXLBJ4S
Campbell has been a rock for Iowa's defense all season. His 110 tackles leads the Big Ten. He's also recorded four QB hurries, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Those stats don't account for the leadership role he plays for the entire defense, nor his ability to organize his teammates on every play. They can't fully acknowledge his outstanding football instincts, either. It's no surprise that Campbell was also named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.
1 of 5 for the Butkus Award.@jackcampbell133 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/Ll6nu5Uksj
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 22, 2022
This is the second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award that Campbell has earned; he was also DPOW in Week 4 of the 2021 season. Campbell is the sixth different Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Player of the Week Honors and the second Iowa player to earn a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week nod (after Kaevon Merriweather in Week 4). In all, Iowa has earned eight different Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season, tied for the second-most in the Big Ten.
Congrats, Jack.
