Siena Heights Junior Donovan Campbell Strikes a Balance Between Football, Family

Editor’s Note: This is an edited version of a feature that ran in the Adrian Daily Telegram in October 2013. Used with permission. By Greg Garno—Daily Telegram Special Writer.

The story of Siena Heights University tight end Donovan Campbell begins five years ago.

Five years ago, Campbell didn’t play organized football. Five years ago, Campbell wasn’t fielding offers from other colleges to come play football. Instead, five years ago, Campbell was taking care of his youngest brother
to help his mother.

But fast forward to today. Campbell, now a junior, excels on the field as a vital part of the Saints offense. More importantly, he has been a catalyst for Siena Heights this season in arguably the toughest football conference in the NAIA.

“He affects our football team in a very positive way,” said SHU coach Jim Lyall. “You can tell the difference between him and some players is it’s not so much what you want, but how badly you want it. He wants to be the best, very badly.”

Campbell has led the Saints in receiving the past two years, including last season in which he was the only member from Siena Heights to be named the All-MSFA Mideast first team. This year, he was a preseason NAIA All-American, and living up to the billing.

“When the ball is in the air, he really believes he’s going to get it,” Lyall said.

The story of Campbell moves to his junior year of high school in South Bend, Ind., four years ago, when a new coach joined and Campbell played football for the first time. Campbell had played basketball in the years prior and would still play, but after moving from Chicago, Campbell’s family became a priority.

Campbell continued to balance football and family in the following year, when he became a captain of the football team after just one season.

“I knew I could catch the football, I knew I could run, so everything just fell into place,” Campbell said.

For having little experience, Campbell wowed a coaching staff headed by Lyall—a man who has more than 38 years of experience of his own. Campbell was athletic enough to play basketball in his sophomore year at Siena Heights.

The story continues three years ago, when his track to Siena was shaped not because of the chance to play two sports, but rather because of the relationship he developed with the coaching staff and the campus.

“At first, I was trying to seek out the most genuine recruiters,” Campbell said. “I thought about who really wants me for the type of person I am and not just the football player. I knew this was a place that wanted me, for me. You can’t beat the homey feeling, and just the atmosphere of the place is great.”

One school day several falls ago, Campbell sat in government class, the last class of the day at Clay High School. His football coach pulled him out for another coach, unknown to Campbell at the time, to speak with him.

Waiting for him outside the classroom was Saints defensive coordinator Matt Kohn, who made his recruiting pitch. He invited Campbell to visit Siena Heights—to see what it had to offer. Then everything really fell into place.

“The first time I visited campus I fell in love with it,” Campbell said. “I felt like I was home.”

And since Day 1, Campbell has been that same leader he was in high school. His speed and athleticism combined with his work ethic create a challenge for opponents and someone on which Lyall can rely.

But Campbell’s story, five years later when he didn’t imagine his current position, is all the more crucial to his team. Campbell continues his role as a captain, arriving to practice first and leaving the facility last while not being afraid to speak up.

“His improvement is mirrored by our team’s improvement,” Lyall said. “We’ve had to perform at a high level, and one of the reasons for that is Donovan. He makes big plays.

“I certainly like our odds when we’re throwing the football to him.”