ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Caleb Campbell was a day away from practicing with the Lions and taking a step toward his dream of playing in the NFL.
“He was issued a helmet, ready to go,” coach Rod Marinelli said Wednesday.
Now, Campbell is closer to joining his fellow West Point graduates in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The U.S. Army revised its interpretation of U.S. Department of Defense policy two weeks ago regarding soldiers playing professional sports, requiring cadets to complete two years of active duty before applying for a release. Campbell and the Lions didn’t officially receive notice of the change until the eve of training camp.
“It’s unfortunate, but it doesn’t mean Caleb Campbell’s dream is dead. It just means it will be delayed,” Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb said. “We want to take care of soldiers and dashing their hopes is not what we intend.”
The Lions will retain Campbell’s rights until the 2009 draft, but he will not be eligible to play until 2010.
Goodell monitoring Favre situation.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is monitoring the ongoing rift between the Packers and Brett Favre.
first reported Goodell’s interest in the Favre predicament, indicating Goodell encouraged Packers general manager Ted Thompson to survey teams around the league to try to find a trade partner in hopes of resolving it quickly.
And Tampa Bay is emerging as perhaps the most likely destination for Favre, although it is unclear whether the quarterback would be willing to play for the Buccaneers.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a source said Favre continued to use a Packers-issued cellphone after his retirement and that when the team checked the phone records, there were “repeated calls to coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell” of the Vikings.
Footnotes.
Devin Hester, who has electrified the NFL with 11 punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns in his first two seasons, skipped the Bears’ first training camp practice in a holdout.
• Receiver Marques Colston, whose 168 catches are more than any NFL receiver through his first two seasons, agreed to a three-year extension that could keep him in New Orleans through the 2011 season.
• Rams defensive end Claude Wroten was suspended without pay for the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
• The Chargers released wide receiver Eric Parker.
• The Panthers claimed offensive tackle Charles Spencer off waivers from Houston and released offensive lineman Rueben Riley.
The Associated Press
