Despite the best efforts of naysayers, the notion that there is power in prayer and manifestation remains prevalent. In the case of the former LSU Tiger, Will Campbell, that power helped him to become the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Prior to his draft night moment, Campbell sat down with the renowned Kay Adams to discuss how he and his family used to pray for times like these. Their prayers were answered. Campbell now joins the ranks of a budding New England Patriots roster that features the likes of Drake Maye and TreVeyon Henderson, a young core that will likely help to rebuild the once-great franchise.
In noting that he was relieved just to make it to the draft, the standout offensive tackle recalled that:
“Whenever I was little, my mom would come in every night, on one side of my bed and my dad on the other, and she would say the Lord’s Prayer with both of us. At the end of the prayer, she would let us chime in what we wanted to pray for, and I would always say “Please, let me play football at LSU and in the NFL.”
When Adams inquired about there being a specific NFL team that a young Campbell had prayed to play for, the 21-year-old explained that he didn’t have a preference, instead, he chose to simply be thankful for the opportunity.
“Just to finally be here, it’s a very long and strung out process that takes a lot of hard work, energy, and time. For it to finally be here, it’s awesome.”
Following his selection on April 24th, Campbell was visibly emotional onstage. Having realized that his prayers all those years ago had finally been answered, the newest member of the Patriots’ roster struggled to keep his composure.
With a full heart and a tear in his eye, he proudly noted that he is fully prepared to put his health and well-being on the line to protect his new quarterback in Drake Maye.
“I’ve worked my entire life to be up here, to be able to get my name called by a franchise like New England. That means everything to me. I’m going to fight and die to protect him with everything I’ve got.”
The moment perfectly encapsulated the magic of the NFL Draft and its ability to permanently alter the course of a player’s life. Campbell’s emotions proved to be enough to cause the crowd to erupt into a series of cheers, as they had once again been given the opportunity to see a childhood dream come true.
The former Tiger will now turn his attention towards the upcoming 2025 regular season, where he will hope to contribute to the Patriots’ ongoing rebuild. Seeing as the Patriots allowed a total of 52 sacks last year, the fifth most in the NFL, the lionhearted tackle from Monroe, Louisiana, will likely prove to make an immediate difference.
