Aug. 24, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — – Been there, done that…with a smile.
That could be a sign hanging on the door to the office of Erik “Soup” Campbell, the latest UI assistant football coach to be featured in the UI’s “Coach Speak” series of videos.
A four-year starter at the University of Michigan, Campbell saw action as both a receiver and in the defensive secondary while helping the Wolverines to 35 victories and a Big Ten Conference championship. In fact, he’s the only student-athlete in UM football history to start at all four secondary positions in the same season.
Today, Campbell takes that experience and pairs it with 23 years of experience as a coach at the BCS level, and shares it with Iowa’s talented wide receivers – and he does so with an electric smile that compliments a “do-it-right-get-after-it-and-have-fun” style on the practice field.
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“They have to have catching skills first. You have to have that. Next is toughness. Is he willing to make the big block, make the big catch? Then (we want) a guy who loves to compete every day, in every practice, in every game. When you have that package, you’re what we’re looking for.”
Erik Campbell
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“They have to have catching skills first. You have to have that. Next is toughness. Is he willing to make the big block, make the big catch? Then (we want) a guy who loves to compete every day, in every practice, in every game. When you have that package, you’re what we’re looking for,” Campbell says when asked what it takes to play the receiver position for the Hawkeyes.
Campbell’s latest success story is Marvin McNutt. Campbell helped take McNutt from being one of Iowa’s quarterbacks to being the winner of the 2011 Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year award as the best pass catcher in the Big Ten Conference. McNutt is now a member of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
“Use your hands. Use your hands. Use your hands, every time. Use your hands every time,” Campbell barks during a team practice inside historic Kinnick Stadium.
“Nice, nice, nice… Finish it through the whistle…” he adds later.
Campbell says what separates the University of Iowa and the Iowa football program from the pack is its head coach – Kirk Ferentz, the coaching staff and support staff, and a student-athlete’s teammates.
“I have the opportunity to work with young men who want to be great football players but at the same time want to get their degree,” Campbell says after a practice inside Iowa’s brand new indoor practice facility.
“And there’s nothing like game-days in Kinnick Stadium.”
To watch Campbell’s “Coach Speak” video – and those featuring LeVar Woods, Brian Ferentz, Greg Davis, and Reese Morgan – visit gohawks.com. The videos are also available at GoHawksTV, the official YouTube site of the Iowa football program.