Campbell: Not sure where hatred for 49ers came from, but it’s a good thing

Calais Campbell was a busy man on Tuesday, but most of his work came off the field rather than on it.

Hours after telling SiriusXM NFL Radio that he hates the San Francisco 49ers with a passion, the fifth-year pro was asked to explain those comments in greater detail on Arizona Sports 620’s Doug & Wolf.

The Cardinals defensive end didn’t backtrack either, in fact he was more than happy to oblige.

“I don’t know where [the hatred] came from, but it’s definitely there,” Campbell said. “It’s been there since I got here in 2008. I remember playing the 49ers in Week 1 in 2008 and all the guys on the team just talked about how bad they hated the 49ers. It’s grown for me from there.”

While the former second round pick couldn’t recall a specific instance within the white lines that has contributed to his growing hatred for the guys in scarlet and gold, the head-to-head matchups might explain the public disdain.

Since Campbell’s rookie season in 2008, the Cardinals are just 3-5 against their NFC West rivals. Of the five losses, four have come by at least 15 points.

Heading into Monday night’s pivotal prime time showdown with San Francisco, Campbell said the hatred might be a good thing. Given the Cardinals’ current three-game losing streak, a big game against a common foe might be just what the doctor ordered.