Traver Baddock was just 16 when he lost his life in a fire while at a hunting camp in Mississippi. Baddock and Will Campbell were cousins. Despite not being close in age, the two were extremely close friends. As Baddock’s parents told The Athletic, “They had to be separated at church. We couldn’t put them next to each other. Not for being bad, but for being funny.”
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Today, as Campbell was drafted by the New England Patriots, it’s safe to say that Tarver is smiling from up there.
Will Campbell was a standout college lineman, earning Consensus All-American honors in 2024. He was a team captain at LSU, starting all 38 games over his three-year tenure. As he got drafted by the Patriots, he couldn’t contain his tears of joy as he said,
“I worked my entire life to be up here. To hear my name called by a franchise like New England, it means everything to me.”
On what he’s hoping to do as an offensive lineman for the team and QB Drake Maye, Will said, “I’m going to fight and die to protect them with everything I’ve got.”
During his LSU career, Campbell spent two seasons protecting quarterback Jayden Daniels, now with the Washington Commanders. As a standout left tackle, Campbell earned First Team All-SEC honors twice and was named Second Team All-SEC once during his freshman year.
Over 2,553 career snaps, he allowed just five total sacks, demonstrating consistent pass protection and reliability. One area of concern for Campbell as an NFL prospect is his arm length—he measured 32 5/8 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, which is considered shorter than the ideal for pro-level offensive tackles.
But as the original report on Baddock and Campbell points out, what he lacks in wingspan, he makes up in heart.
His promotional billboard at Cypress Street in West Monroe made no mention of his NFL prospects or his exploits at LSU. Instead, it’s a promotion of the Tarver Braddock Foundation, next to a picture of him in his LSU uniform.
The Foundation’s mission is to spread love, laughter, and happiness through random acts of kindness. In February, as reported by Fox8 New Orleans, the foundation demonstrated this mission by paying a year’s rent for a single parent struggling to make ends meet.
