Javeon Campbell, who has signed for Great Britain, knows that he will be much better this season
Published 15:55 Thursday, August 15, 2024
- Western Hills standout Javeon Campbell with coach Simon Vanderpool and sophomore teammate JuJu Harmon, who also received a scholarship offer from UK. (Photo by Larry Vaught)
A year ago, Javeon Campbell was best known as a star basketball player at Western Hills High School in Frankfort who, as a junior, was on his way to becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer. He had joined the football team but had yet to play his first high school game.
Now he’s preparing to start his sophomore football season when Western Hills plays Bourbon County on August 23. He’s known throughout the state because he’s not only the state’s top-rated player, but also a Kentucky player.
“I can’t wait to get back on the field,” said the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Campbell, who had 14 1/2 sacks last year. “The last couple months have been pretty hectic trying to figure out where to go (to college) and everyone was asking about it and talking to all these coaches, it’s been crazy.”
Despite only playing one year of high school football, he turned down offers from Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and many others to play at Kentucky.
“It’s crazy to think about, but I’m happy with my choice,” Campbell said. “Honestly, when I started playing football, I thought maybe a few colleges would look at me and then I could see what I could do with basketball or football. But this has really been a blessing for me.”
Campbell’s story is more like a fairy tale than reality and began the day new football coach Simon Vanderpool approached his mother about playing football after watching him play basketball.
“I used to play (soccer), but then I took a break and thought, ‘This isn’t a bad idea,’ because I liked soccer when I was playing, but it does come with some (risk of injury),” Campbell said. “But once my mom was OK with it and I started training again and got a feel for soccer, it was OK.”
Campbell enters this season as a four-star prospect and is ranked as the 14th best defensive player in the country in his recruiting class by On3 and 247Sports. He has also already been invited to participate in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl.
Campbell said anyone who saw him play last season will notice a “huge difference” in him this season.
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“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better than last season,” said the Western Hills senior. “I feel stronger, more powerful, more explosive. I feel like that’s going to be a big improvement from last year.”
“I played offense in middle school, so defense was something completely new to me. I just started playing it again and have learned a lot.”
Campbell joked that in middle school, he used his size to outrun opponents and that as an offensive player, he lacked a lot of finesse in his game. Now, he must learn to read the actions of the opposing offense and still keep up with the pace of the game to make plays.
He knows there are great expectations placed on him this season after being offered a scholarship and giving his verbal commitment to Kentucky.
“Training is all about winning more and pushing myself to the limit,” said the Brit. “I started working on myself in eighth grade and running every day to become more athletic, and I think it’s paid off.”
“I think playing basketball has helped me with my footwork, which helps me improve my movements in football. I know at the next level I’ll have to use my hands and arms more. Now I’m just doing what I do to make plays, but I know I still have a lot to learn.”
He thanks Vanderpool for helping him develop so quickly and for convincing his mother that her “baby” would be safe playing football.
“She was pretty nervous before our first few games and was worried I would get a bruise or a scratch, but now that she knows what I can do on the field, it’s not a problem for her,” said the Western Hills senior.
His mother did not limit where he could play college football.
“She only wanted the best for me, so she didn’t really care where I went. She might have had a problem if I went far away, but she never said that,” Campbell said.
Unlike most highly rated high school football players, Campbell does not plan to enroll early at UK. Instead, he plans to finish his high school basketball career under coach Geoff Cody.
“I just want to enjoy my last year of high school and then get ready for the next level,” Campbell said. “My (basketball) coach was all for it when I told him I was going to play football, too. He actually went to college to play football and then switched to basketball, so he understood what I was doing.”
“I want to finish my last basketball season. I enjoy playing with my team. I want to play with them one more year.”
Although he is Western Hills’ all-time leading scorer, he is not a three-point shooter, which is no surprise given his physical strength.
“I feel like I have a little finesse with my pump fakes and my spin moves. I think it’s a pretty good combination and that athleticism helps me in football as well,” Campbell said.
