This story first appeared on cciw.org.
When Will Campbell’s time in high school was coming to an end in early 2022 and his college decision neared, he knew he was going to have options thanks to his success on the football field and in the classroom.
As a student-athlete at Kaukauna High School just 24 miles southwest of Green Bay, Campbell was the John Anderson Award recipient as the top linebacker in the state of Wisconsin. He was a unanimous All-State selection and the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Fox Valley Association.
He made a lot of college visits. Through that process, he began getting a glance behind the curtain of college football at the scholarship level – essentially, what it might be like to compete against your own teammate for scholarship dollars. The culture was ruthless and Campbell decided it wasn’t for him. His time looking for a college home eventually pointed him …