From special teamer to DPOY favorite: Former Duke linebacker is tearing it up in Mexico pro football
Colby Campbell wasn't a star at Duke. In fact, in 2021 he played in 11 of 12 games and only recorded seven tackles on defense. Now, he's on his way to win Defensive Player of the Year in Mexico's Liga de Fútbol Americano.The LFA is still a young league but it already is one of […]
Colby Campbell wasn't a star at Duke. In fact, in 2021 he played in 11 of 12 games and only recorded seven tackles on defense. Now, he's on his way to win Defensive Player of the Year in Mexico's Liga de Fútbol Americano.
The LFA is still a young league but it already is one of the best ones outside of the United States. In fact, it's widely believed to be second only to the CFL. It's widely considered to be better than Europe's and Japan's leagues, specially because of the amount of import players allowed. The LFA allows up to 18 non-Mexican players per team to be on the roster.
As the league grows, more and more D1, FBS players are signed. One of them is Campbell, whose journey has gone from being a special teamer at Duke to being a defensive monster south of the border and leading his team to a 7-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the league.
Colby Campbell is trending to be named Defensive Player of the Year
Campbell—who plays for Mexico City's Mexicas—is the definition of a Swiss army knife for the league's best defense per points allowed (allowing 12 points per game!). Though he plays as an off-ball middle linebacker most of the time, he can line up in the edge or blitz from anywhere on the field.
At the end of an eight-game regular season, Campbell ranks third in tackles (71) and third in sacks (8.5). And if you're looking for bigger impact plays, he also led the LFA with four forced fumbles and added a pick six against the defending back-to-back champion Chihuahua Caudillos.
Now granted, Campbell isn't about to run away with the award. Two teammates fill out the Top 5 players in sacks, including rookie Alberto Madriz, who beats him by half a sack. Linebacker Keenan Wolf from Queretaro led the LFA in tackles by a 19 (93 total tackles).
However, Campbell's versatility brought a lot to the table. And when the time comes to fill out the ballots—I'm fortunate enough to be on the voting committee—I know I will be writing down Campbell's name for D.P.O.Y.
For Duke fans who want to stay tuned into Campbell's journey, the Mexicas play the semifinal against the Puebla Arcángeles in July 5th. As far as the D.P.O.Y. race goes, awards take place until the following year, so expect those news to come later.
Prior to his career at Duke, Campbell was a standout at Presbyterian College, winding up the runner up to the FCS' Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the best defensive player of the year in the D1 subdivision. He was a three-time All-conference selection.
