By David Elfin, The Washington Times
Linebacker Khary Campbell suffered a season-ending knee injury in the ninth game of 2004, his first in Washington. Every spring since, the Redskins have drafted two linebackers to threaten his job. In 2005, it was Robert McCune and Jared Newberry. In 2006, it was Rocky McIntosh and Kevin Simon. This year it was Dallas Sartz and H.B. Blades.
And yet, Campbell not only survives, he thrives. In 2005, Campbell led the special teams with 34 tackles. Last season, Campbell did it again with 37 despite missing the finale with a tender hamstring.While McIntosh is starting, McCune, Newberry and Simon are long gone. So Campbell didn’t worry when outside backer Sartz was chosen in the fifth round in April and middle man Blades in the sixth.
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“It happens every year,” said Campbell, 28. “It’s part of the job. Coach [Joe] Gibbs called and said they wanted to get depth at the position and it was nothing against me.”
The only effect the arrivals of Sartz and Blades have had on Campbell is to give him more snaps at the two outside spots. Campbell worked mostly in the middle last year as he was the only true alternative to starter Lemar Marshall. With the signing of London Fletcher, Marshall is now the leading reserve, but Campbell is next in the pecking order ahead of the rookies, one of whom figures to be cut.
“We tried to give Khary more snaps outside because he had so many in the middle last year,” said assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams. “The more you can do, the better you are. Khary’s a smart football player. We’re just getting ready for the inevitable [injuries]. Whomever we have to throw in there, we don’t want to feel like he’s not ready to go. We want to throw in the next-best athlete as opposed to the next guy on the depth chart.”
Campbell, who made the first start of his five-year career in place of the injured Marshall last Oct. 22 at Indianapolis, wishes he saw more time on defense but has come to accept reality.
“I guess the coaches think I help the team best on special teams,” said Campbell, who played in 13 games for the New York Jets in 2002-03 before coming to Washington. “I look up to a guy like James Thrash, who takes as much pride in what he does on special teams as he did when he was a starting receiver in Philadelphia. I’m proud of leading the team in special teams tackles. Special teams is controlled recklessness. So many things can happen so quickly on special teams that you have to be able to adjust on the run.”
