Cardinals’ Calais Campbell still has love for the game entering 18th season

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell’s love for the game made it an easy decision for him to return to the NFL for an 18th season.

“I love this with all my heart. I still feel like I can produce and be a good player,” Campbell told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday. “With my love of the game and the ability to still go out there and make an impact, it’s like why walk away?”

Campbell, who signed a one-year-deal to return to the Cardinals this offseason, said as he gets older, the offseason training program gets much harder, including this year’s, which made him question if he wanted to come back for his 18th season.

“This year was like, ‘Do you really want to do this?’ And I had to ask myself a couple of times,” Campbell said. “I still love it enough it to where I’m willing to pay the price.”

Campbell is coming off a season where he registered five sacks and 12 tackles for loss with the Miami Dolphins.

Calais Campbell credits former NFL players with staying in shape

Campbell credits former Arizona teammates Bertrand Berry, Darnell Dockett, Dwight Freeney, John Abraham and Vonnie Holliday as people who influenced his career and helped him stay in shape over the years.

Another former NFL player Campbell credits with helping him understand how to stay in shape was former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison, who famously registered a 100-yard pick-6 against the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

“He helped me learn how to take care of my body,” Campbell said. “He was the first one I really saw his schedule and how he planned everything and all the different things that led for him to be on the field and playing well at 38 years old. It’s why I’m still here and doing it right now.”

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