Tarver Braddock, cousin of Will Campbell, died in January 2024 in a fire accident while at a hunting camp in Mississippi. He was just 16. Campbell and Braddock, though not of the same age, were extremely close. The words of Braddock’s parents in an interview with The Athletic best explain their brotherhood: “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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On Thursday, as Campbell got drafted by the New England Patriots, the family and the lineman himself would have been pretty sure that Braddock was smiling from up there, celebrating the moment.
Campbell, 21, was a standout college lineman, earning Consensus All-American honors in 2024. He was a team captain at LSU and started all 38 games over his three-year tenure. As he got drafted by the Patriots, he couldn’t contain his tears.
“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,” said Campbell.
He is pretty clear about how he would go about his business as an offensive lineman for the team and QB Drake Maye. “I’m going to fight and die to protect them with everything I’ve got,” said Campbell.
Braddock will always be around Campbell in spirit. The lineman would not have it any other way.
Campbell’s 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.
On the gridiron, Campbell did earn his stripes at LSU. During his college career, he 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 Braddock and Campbell points out, what he lacks in wingspan, he makes up in heart.
