Jack Campbell was the underdog among the Lions when he was drafted by Detroit in 2023 as a first-round pick. The 24-year-old from Iowa is playing his second NFL season this year, and after five games, he’s proved to be a valuable asset to the team. With each passing match, Campbell impresses more and more fans, and after the Lions’ win against the Vikings today, his reputation continues to rise.
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The head coach of the Detroit Lions is Dan Campbell, and under him is the linebacker, Jack Campbell. Notice anything identical? This common surname has led many to create a conspiracy theory that Dan and Jack might be related. How true is that theory? Let’s find out.
After Campbell was selected six picks later than Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions believed that he could be an anchor for the middle of their defense for a long time yet to come. Plus, seeing as how he shared a last name with the HC itself, it was almost a sign to pick him as their linebacker.
Unfortunately, besides the last name being identical, there’s no pre-existing relationship between Dan and Jack. And no, this wasn’t a pick out of nepotism either. Yet, the humor of this coincidence wasn’t missed by the coach who brought it up for the first time after Jack was picked by the Lions during the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Hey man, I love your last name.”
To get to the bottom of this mystery, here’s a look at who Jack Campbell’s real parents are and why they’re under-the-radar personalities.
Jack Campbell’s parents, Jen and Dave Campbell
The love for football was instilled in Jack from a young age since his father, Dave Campbell, was a guard for Northern Iowa over the course of four seasons. As such, this is why Jack himself went on to play for a bigger team in Iowa and later became a vital part of the defensive squad.
“My mom, my stepmom, my stepdad, and especially my dad, they’ve always just been so supportive of me and seen things in me that sometimes I don’t even see in myself. I’m just truly blessed to be raised by four people who love me.”
Though there’s not much known about his parents, Jack has been heard expressing sheer gratitude for them. Moreover, Jack prefers to have a private life without the public limelight over him, leading to a void of information on his parents along with his upbringing.
That said, Jack Campbell has a long way to go this season, and by the looks of how he’s been performing lately, he won’t need the influence of his last name to go places.
