SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No one tell Will Campbell what Leonard Williams’ nickname is.
Campbell, the Patriots rookie left tackle, was asked Tuesday what his greatest irrational fear was and then for something that bugs him.
“Cats,” Campbell said.
Campbell will have to deal with Leonard “Big Cat” Williams in Sunday’s Super Bowl. But he was not referencing the big defensive lineman. He told a story about staying over at a friend’s house in high school and a battle with his pet cat.
“So crazy,” Campbell said. “I went in the room that I was sleeping in and it was pitch black, dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. And I take my shirt off, I’m about to get into bed, and I just hear [a screech]. And a cat jumped out from under this bed onto my leg. I booted that thing.”
Did he really kick it?
“Yeah, I kicked it,” Campbell said. “[It was] biting me. I’m not gonna just let it.”
On Sunday, the Patriots won’t be worried about Campbell’s disdain for cats. They need him to protect quarterback Drake Maye’s blindside against a strong Seattle pass rush.
Campbell, the No. 4 pick in April, had an up-and-down rookie season that saw him miss four games with an MCL injury.
He injured the knee on Nov. 23 and returned for New England’s regular-season finale on Jan. 4. He admitted Tuesday that he did not feel all the way back until the AFC Championship game.
“I didn’t play for five weeks,” Campbell said. “When I did get hurt, I felt like I was playing pretty good ball. Obviously I was disappointed to get hurt. I just felt like last week was the first week that I felt like myself back out there. Just moving around, I had everything. My timing, everything down. I was just excited.”
Campbell has struggled in the playoffs. He gave up 10 pressures and four sacks in the team’s games against the Chargers and Texans. In the AFC title game in Denver, he allowed five pressures but no sacks.
Campbell said coach Mike Vrabel has helped keep his confidence up.
“He’s great,” Campbell said. “It’s not easy to come back for an injury or get hurt in general, but not only Vrabes, all the coaches, all the training staff, my teammates were extremely helpful to me mentally. Just helping me get back and get prepared to go.”