Anthony Campanile – May 25, 2021
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(Obviously LB Kyle Van Noy did a lot for you guys. Who do you see fitting in his role and I’m sure it’s going to be multiple guys from all of the options you have – LB Andrew Van Ginkel, etc.?) – “I think the guys have all kind of always done a good job with that just as a group picking up for one another, being good communicators. I think Elandon (Roberts) did a great job with that last year. Benardrick (McKinney) coming in, he’s another guy. Jerome Baker did a great job with that, so I’ve been very, very pleased with that as a group so far. So pretty much everybody.”
(LB Benardrick McKinney – do you envision him being able to help you both inside next to LB Jerome Baker? Obviously LB Elandon Roberts is in that mix as well and on the edge because even though Houston didn’t maximize him maybe as a pass rusher, we know he has that type of ability.) – “I think Benardrick, like a few other guys in our room, he’s really got a versatile skillset, which here in our system, we value that. He gives us a chance to do a lot of things, like a lot of other guys. We’ve played with a lot of guys in our system even in this last year, as you guys have seen, doing multiple jobs and multiple roles. I’m very, very excited obviously that he’s here with us. I think he really gives us a chance to do a bunch of things with him.”
(When you studied LB Jaelan Phillips going into the draft – I don’t know if you salivated a little bit – what were some things that jumped out?) – “Just a really high-level competitor. He played really, really hard. Great motor. And when you get to know him, just a really good person. Good kid. Fits in well because of those qualities. That’s what we value here – team-first guys, unselfish guys that run around, have a love and a passion for the game – and he checked all those boxes. Just a great guy to be around to this point and we’re excited to have him. But hopefully to answer your question, just a high-level competitor and great motor.”
(I wanted to ask about LB Jerome Baker. Two years as the team’s leading tackler. Obviously you weren’t here for one of those seasons, but what’s next for him and how can he take his game to that next level, that next tier?) – “’Bake’ (Jerome Baker) is a guy – like I’ve said in some of these media meetings or gatherings in the past – who’s a really great guy to coach because he’s an extremely bright guy. He understands football concepts really, really well and those things come easy to him. Just his level of study I feel has continuously improved over my time here and he’s been really, really diligent in the classroom. His technique on the field in various ways has improved, and we’re hopeful that he’ll continue to do that. I know he will because it’s important to him. Just from in the run game and the pass game and even in pass rush, he’s really made improvements in a lot of ways and we’re just hopeful to do that, just like everybody else, hopefully to get better every day.”
(We’ve got a couple Sundays between now until the season where you could invite me over. You haven’t invited me over yet. I’m kind of hurt by that.) – “Come on through. (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark is over every Sunday. Me and this guy – forget it – we eat Sunday dinner like – we went Saturday the other day though because my daughter’s birthday was Saturday; but we’ve been going crazy. I need to go on a diet. The season can’t start fast enough. (laughter)”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel – he kind of expressed that he’s going to be kind of calling out plays a little bit more when we talked to him last week. We know him and he’s kind of like a quiet, mild-mannered guy, but on the field when he plays, it’s a little bit louder for sure. But how do you kind of see him transitioning into that role where he’s going to be calling a little bit more plays?) – “I think Andrew’s been a good communicator. Even last year, I remember talking to you guys early on in camp, just saying he had jumped out and that was something I think he’s got a knack for that. He’s a very bright guy. Like I said, he’s always up in the office trying to do extra, trying to learn, study, just (trying to) get every little edge each week against his opponent. Just the players themselves that he’s playing against and then understanding our game plan. So he’s a guy that we feel good about in that role in terms of communicating. That’s important to him. It’s important to us and he’s done a very good job with that so hopefully he continues to excel that way, which I think he will.”
(I wanted to ask you about something the offensive coaches spoke about yesterday a little bit and they were, to a man, very adamant about being multiple much like your defense is. I’m wondering if the multiple looks the offense has and all the speed they added and the motion and stuff they can do pre-snap, how much do you guys use that in the defensive room whether it’s on the practice field or in the film room to kind of train yourself to not take the eye candy as it were and just to be disciplined with your eyes and your feet and all that stuff?) – “I think that’s football really at every level. I think there’s a lot of stuff going on pre-snap and what we try to focus on in our room – and I’m sure you’ve probably heard this from other guys more often than not – is worry about doing our job and doing our job well. And a huge part of doing your job – I talked about this last year as well – is your eyes. Before everything else, the eyes control the function of the body in football. And in order for you to communicate well, which is very, very important defensively obviously, to make sure everybody is on the same page in terms of forces and coverage structures; in order to do that and communicate well, your eyes have got to be right. I think the more you can do that at this time, the more we work on that with our guys; the better it’ll make us defensively. So that’s really what we’re working on right now, just worrying about ourselves and communicating well so that we’re all in the correct spots and totally understand every level of the defense in terms of structure and forces, coverage structure.”
(I wanted to ask you about a guy you were missing last year – LB Vince Biegel. Where is he in his rehab? What can he offer you guys this season?) – “Vince, he’s done a great job. I know he was a big part of the defense in ’19 and obviously he was doing really well in camp before his injury; but he’s worked tirelessly to get back and he’s really doing a great job for us and I’m very, very excited about him. He’s a team guy, too. A really, really smart football player, high-effort guy. Just a great guy to be around, so I’m really, really excited to have him back.”
