TAKING LEAPS OF FAITH
2/18/2020 1:36:00 PM | Football, Health & Wellness
Corey Campbell Hasn’t Been Afraid to Leave His Comfort Zone.
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Corey Campbell hasn't always made the safe, easy decisions, choosing instead to leave his comfort zone and take daring, maybe even risky leaps of faith.
Whether that was walking on the football team at the University of Georgia, turning his back on a potentially lucrative pharmaceutical career, taking a job at Cincinnati before finishing his master's degree or leaving Purdue after three months to join a Baylor staff where he didn't really know anyone.
"I was enjoying my time at Purdue, I loved the staff, I was working with a former coach of mine. I was comfortable," he said. "Even taking the interview at Baylor was getting me out of that comfort zone.
"But, you know what, sometimes you've got to step out on faith. You're secure, new coaching staff just got here, you know you're going to have a job for quite some time. But, God opens doors that you don't necessarily know why He opens them. Sometimes, you just have to take that leap of faith and walk through it."
Three years after taking that leap of faith, the 29-year-old Campbell was promoted to Director of Athletic Performance for the Baylor football program last month when Jeremy Scott left to join Matt Rhule's staff with the Carolina Panthers.
As Kenny Boyd, Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Health & Wellness, met with new head football coach Dave Aranda, "we realized very quickly that we had somebody here that had incredible relationships with the players."
"That gives you such a huge advantage when you're starting there," Boyd said. "Corey's a rising star. He's someone that has not only played at a high level, he's also had the experience and mentorship with some people that have helped him become somebody that we believe can lead our football program and develop our team. We're just thankful that we were able to keep him here."
Echoing that sentiment, Aranda said Campbell is "very passionate and has a true way about him that motivates and inspires our young men. Corey is going to be able to get our team ready to perform at the highest level."
A native of Hephzibah, Ga., a small rural town just outside of Augusta, Corey was part of a close-knit community where "everybody knows everybody."
"The people around you, their parents are your parents, their grandparents are your grandparents," he said. "Everybody knows who you are. It's like, 'Hey, if you see my child doing something wrong, you have the right to discipline them.'''
Raised by his mom, Louise Campbell, Corey played baseball growing up, but migrated to football, wrestling and track by middle school. The toughness, camaraderie and team atmosphere were what attracted him to football.
"Just being able to go through tough times with other individuals and seeing the benefit of that," he said. "Practices were hard, training was hard, but you went through that with the guys next to you. During the season, you go out and you play and you win games, but all of that is the result of the work that you put in together."
An all-region football player in high school, Corey decided to go the walk-on route at the University of Georgia instead of maybe playing at a smaller school or just being a student.
Reaching out to Joe Tereshinski Jr., an assistant coach and the Bulldogs' walk-on coordinator, Corey showed up for workouts the summer after his freshman year with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.
"You've got to prove that you're worthy enough to be a part of what Georgia football was at that time," he said. "I went in every day, head down, and went to work. I had to earn the respect of not only those coaches but the guys in the locker room. Especially as a walk-on, you can't come in and act like you've got it all figured out. But, you also have to come in with a chip on your shoulder saying, 'Hey, I know I can play football with you guys.'''
Through his work ethic in the weight room, Corey gained the respect of the older players and "gave myself an edge." He was a two-year letterman as a fullback and special teams standout for a Georgia team that won 20 games over his final two seasons and went to consecutive New Year's Day bowl games.
"I wasn't the most talented athlete," he said, "but that's how I earned my keep and how I earned my way on the field was through strength and conditioning."
The weight room was also where he got the inspiration to give up going to pharmacy school and instead pursue a career in athletic performance. After earning his bachelor's degree in biology at Georgia, he joined his twin sister, Courtney, at Georgia College to work on a master's in exercise science.
"After my senior season, I asked myself, 'What do you want to do with the rest of your life?''' he said. "The allure of a six-figure salary coming out of school as a young professional is very appealing, but I had to look inside myself and say, 'Would I be happy doing that?' I want to impact young men the way that these coaches have impacted me. These are the men who helped mold me into the person I became. I want to be that for other young men."
Just to start the process, Corey sent out applications before finishing grad school, thinking that no one would even call. "I don't have my master's, I'm still pretty raw in the field, no one's going to want to hire me."
The University of Cincinnati though, was willing to work with him on finishing his degree while taking an assistant strength coach position.
"I'm so thankful that God allowed me to work that out," he said. "I was scared to death. I was kind of thrown into the fire. But, the guys on that staff really took me in and helped mold me and shape me."
At Cincinnati, he worked with the football, cheerleading and golf programs, the kind of sport diversity that "helps you become a better coach."
"If I can coach a female athlete to do this, if I can coach an athlete in different sports to do this, it helps me with my cues, it helps me out with my approach," Corey said. "I can look back at those times and pull information like how was I able to cue this individual to do this. OK, let's apply that here and see if it works. That affords you to be a little more versatile in how you approach different athletes so that you can better equip them with the tools they need to be successful."
When Cincinnati head football coach Tommy Tuberville left at the end of the 2016 season, Corey was in flux, not sure where he was going to land.
That's when he got a call from a former strength coach at Georgia, Justin Lovett, offering him a spot at Purdue.
"I've got to go with the sure thing, because I don't know what's going to happen (at Cincinnati)," Corey said. "So, I packed up my bags and moved from Cincinnati to West Lafayette, Ind."
Around the same time that Jeff Brohm went from Western Kentucky to Purdue, Rhule left Temple University to take the job at Baylor in December 2016 and brought Scott with him as the head strength coach.
It was early that spring that Corey got the Baylor offer and took a leap of faith.
"I felt like I was meant to be here," he said. "I don't know why, but when I got around the athletes, when I got around the program, I just felt like I would serve a purpose here at Baylor, whatever that may be. . . . And just to be a part of the growth and transformation of what we have today is just so rewarding to me."
From a difficult 1-11 season in 2017, the Bears improved to 7-6 the next year and then 11-3 in 2019, playing in the program's first Big 12 Championship game and first Sugar Bowl in 63 years.
"That first year, it was getting the guys to understand the reason we were doing what we were doing," Corey said. "It was coming in, getting the culture right, getting the guys to buy in what we were doing. It was hard. But, you had to go through that time in order to appreciate what transpired from it."
In flux again when Rhule and Scott left for the Carolina Panthers, Corey said there was "definitely uncertainty." Especially with Aranda coming from LSU, where legendary strength coach Tommy Moffitt has an impressive tree of coaches that have worked under him.
"I know the quality of coaches he produces," Corey said of Moffitt. "In my mind, (Aranda) is going to come in here and bring his own guy. But, he wasn't like that.
"It's just crazy how God works at times. I'm just thankful that he took a chance on me, because he could have come in and cleaned house, but he didn't. I think he appreciated the culture that we put in place, rooted in what we do down here in the weight room. For him to want me to not only instill that culture, but to blend what he is bringing in terms of his culture – and I'm a complete stranger – that says a lot that he would believe in me like that."
Coming from the home state of Dr. Martin Luther King, who championed the civil rights' movement of the 1960s, Corey said Black History Month has a particular significance in his life.
"Just the simple fact that if you do things the right way, if you work hard, anything is possible," he said. "I'm thankful that I'm able to now lead not only young men of color, but lead young men, period. I'm not a person that gets caught up with that. I want to impact any individual in any way that I can so that they're able to achieve the goals they've set for themselves.
"But definitely, me being able to be in a position of leadership as a man of color, young men who look like me may not think they have the opportunity to be in these positions. You can do it. You just have to put your mind to it, and then go out and do it. Just have faith, and work, and the sky's the limit for you."
Baylor Bear Insider
Corey Campbell hasn't always made the safe, easy decisions, choosing instead to leave his comfort zone and take daring, maybe even risky leaps of faith.
Whether that was walking on the football team at the University of Georgia, turning his back on a potentially lucrative pharmaceutical career, taking a job at Cincinnati before finishing his master's degree or leaving Purdue after three months to join a Baylor staff where he didn't really know anyone.
"I was enjoying my time at Purdue, I loved the staff, I was working with a former coach of mine. I was comfortable," he said. "Even taking the interview at Baylor was getting me out of that comfort zone.
"But, you know what, sometimes you've got to step out on faith. You're secure, new coaching staff just got here, you know you're going to have a job for quite some time. But, God opens doors that you don't necessarily know why He opens them. Sometimes, you just have to take that leap of faith and walk through it."
Three years after taking that leap of faith, the 29-year-old Campbell was promoted to Director of Athletic Performance for the Baylor football program last month when Jeremy Scott left to join Matt Rhule's staff with the Carolina Panthers.
As Kenny Boyd, Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Health & Wellness, met with new head football coach Dave Aranda, "we realized very quickly that we had somebody here that had incredible relationships with the players."
"That gives you such a huge advantage when you're starting there," Boyd said. "Corey's a rising star. He's someone that has not only played at a high level, he's also had the experience and mentorship with some people that have helped him become somebody that we believe can lead our football program and develop our team. We're just thankful that we were able to keep him here."
Echoing that sentiment, Aranda said Campbell is "very passionate and has a true way about him that motivates and inspires our young men. Corey is going to be able to get our team ready to perform at the highest level."
A native of Hephzibah, Ga., a small rural town just outside of Augusta, Corey was part of a close-knit community where "everybody knows everybody."
"The people around you, their parents are your parents, their grandparents are your grandparents," he said. "Everybody knows who you are. It's like, 'Hey, if you see my child doing something wrong, you have the right to discipline them.'''
Raised by his mom, Louise Campbell, Corey played baseball growing up, but migrated to football, wrestling and track by middle school. The toughness, camaraderie and team atmosphere were what attracted him to football.
"Just being able to go through tough times with other individuals and seeing the benefit of that," he said. "Practices were hard, training was hard, but you went through that with the guys next to you. During the season, you go out and you play and you win games, but all of that is the result of the work that you put in together."
An all-region football player in high school, Corey decided to go the walk-on route at the University of Georgia instead of maybe playing at a smaller school or just being a student.
Reaching out to Joe Tereshinski Jr., an assistant coach and the Bulldogs' walk-on coordinator, Corey showed up for workouts the summer after his freshman year with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.
"You've got to prove that you're worthy enough to be a part of what Georgia football was at that time," he said. "I went in every day, head down, and went to work. I had to earn the respect of not only those coaches but the guys in the locker room. Especially as a walk-on, you can't come in and act like you've got it all figured out. But, you also have to come in with a chip on your shoulder saying, 'Hey, I know I can play football with you guys.'''
Through his work ethic in the weight room, Corey gained the respect of the older players and "gave myself an edge." He was a two-year letterman as a fullback and special teams standout for a Georgia team that won 20 games over his final two seasons and went to consecutive New Year's Day bowl games.
"I wasn't the most talented athlete," he said, "but that's how I earned my keep and how I earned my way on the field was through strength and conditioning."
The weight room was also where he got the inspiration to give up going to pharmacy school and instead pursue a career in athletic performance. After earning his bachelor's degree in biology at Georgia, he joined his twin sister, Courtney, at Georgia College to work on a master's in exercise science.
"After my senior season, I asked myself, 'What do you want to do with the rest of your life?''' he said. "The allure of a six-figure salary coming out of school as a young professional is very appealing, but I had to look inside myself and say, 'Would I be happy doing that?' I want to impact young men the way that these coaches have impacted me. These are the men who helped mold me into the person I became. I want to be that for other young men."
Just to start the process, Corey sent out applications before finishing grad school, thinking that no one would even call. "I don't have my master's, I'm still pretty raw in the field, no one's going to want to hire me."
The University of Cincinnati though, was willing to work with him on finishing his degree while taking an assistant strength coach position.
"I'm so thankful that God allowed me to work that out," he said. "I was scared to death. I was kind of thrown into the fire. But, the guys on that staff really took me in and helped mold me and shape me."
At Cincinnati, he worked with the football, cheerleading and golf programs, the kind of sport diversity that "helps you become a better coach."
"If I can coach a female athlete to do this, if I can coach an athlete in different sports to do this, it helps me with my cues, it helps me out with my approach," Corey said. "I can look back at those times and pull information like how was I able to cue this individual to do this. OK, let's apply that here and see if it works. That affords you to be a little more versatile in how you approach different athletes so that you can better equip them with the tools they need to be successful."
When Cincinnati head football coach Tommy Tuberville left at the end of the 2016 season, Corey was in flux, not sure where he was going to land.
That's when he got a call from a former strength coach at Georgia, Justin Lovett, offering him a spot at Purdue.
"I've got to go with the sure thing, because I don't know what's going to happen (at Cincinnati)," Corey said. "So, I packed up my bags and moved from Cincinnati to West Lafayette, Ind."
Around the same time that Jeff Brohm went from Western Kentucky to Purdue, Rhule left Temple University to take the job at Baylor in December 2016 and brought Scott with him as the head strength coach.
It was early that spring that Corey got the Baylor offer and took a leap of faith.
"I felt like I was meant to be here," he said. "I don't know why, but when I got around the athletes, when I got around the program, I just felt like I would serve a purpose here at Baylor, whatever that may be. . . . And just to be a part of the growth and transformation of what we have today is just so rewarding to me."
From a difficult 1-11 season in 2017, the Bears improved to 7-6 the next year and then 11-3 in 2019, playing in the program's first Big 12 Championship game and first Sugar Bowl in 63 years.
"That first year, it was getting the guys to understand the reason we were doing what we were doing," Corey said. "It was coming in, getting the culture right, getting the guys to buy in what we were doing. It was hard. But, you had to go through that time in order to appreciate what transpired from it."
In flux again when Rhule and Scott left for the Carolina Panthers, Corey said there was "definitely uncertainty." Especially with Aranda coming from LSU, where legendary strength coach Tommy Moffitt has an impressive tree of coaches that have worked under him.
"I know the quality of coaches he produces," Corey said of Moffitt. "In my mind, (Aranda) is going to come in here and bring his own guy. But, he wasn't like that.
"It's just crazy how God works at times. I'm just thankful that he took a chance on me, because he could have come in and cleaned house, but he didn't. I think he appreciated the culture that we put in place, rooted in what we do down here in the weight room. For him to want me to not only instill that culture, but to blend what he is bringing in terms of his culture – and I'm a complete stranger – that says a lot that he would believe in me like that."
Coming from the home state of Dr. Martin Luther King, who championed the civil rights' movement of the 1960s, Corey said Black History Month has a particular significance in his life.
"Just the simple fact that if you do things the right way, if you work hard, anything is possible," he said. "I'm thankful that I'm able to now lead not only young men of color, but lead young men, period. I'm not a person that gets caught up with that. I want to impact any individual in any way that I can so that they're able to achieve the goals they've set for themselves.
"But definitely, me being able to be in a position of leadership as a man of color, young men who look like me may not think they have the opportunity to be in these positions. You can do it. You just have to put your mind to it, and then go out and do it. Just have faith, and work, and the sky's the limit for you."
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