Army Officer Caleb Campbell Close to Second Shot at NFL

As mentioned before, I am a lifelong fan of the Detroit Lions. Two years ago, prior to the embarrassment that was an 0-16 season, the Lions picked Caleb Campbell in the 7th round of the NFL Draft. He was the first West Point graduate to be drafted by an NFL team since 1997. The team was excited about his potential.

Then, as if the fates were offering a precursor of the season to come, the night before training camp, the Lions officially found out Campbell wouldn't be with them. That's because, a few weeks before, the Army decided to revise its policy with regards to soldiers playing professional sports. The new policy meant Campbell had to serve his two-year stint with the Army first. Campbell, who was initially upset about the ruling, was quoted as saying to the Oakland Press, "Oh yeah, I cried, because I wanted a shot." But Campbell knew what he had to do and he did it.

Now, two years later, Campbell has his second chance. According to the Detroit News, the Lions invited him for a private workout earlier in the week. He arrived Monday night, worked out for them on Tuesday, then returned to Ft. Sill in Oklahoma that night. And on Thursday, the team offered him a contract. But, there's still a catch.

His two-year commitment isn't officially finished yet, so he has to apply to be released from active duty. Hopefully, this will be a formality and Campbell will be able to suit up for the Lions, something he's looking forward to. As he told GoBlackKnights.com, "I am really happy that I am getting the opportunity with Detroit again. I definitely wanted to go back to where it all started, I wanted to go back to the team that drafted me. I think it is a great opportunity and I am really excited."

As a Lions fan, so am I.

Photo by Army Athletic Communications via Wikimedia Commons.