Charles Campbell Embraces Pressure as Indiana's Starting Kicker

Last season, Campbell made a clutch field goal against Purdue. That make has given him confidence as he gets set to begin his first collegiate season as a starting kicker.

Dylan Wallace | Oct 16, 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The first time Indiana special teams coordinator Kasey Teegardin met with Charles Campbell, he asked him if he liked pressure.

Campbell's facial expression lit up. A smile spread across his face, and he responded, "Absolutely."

Campbell will be Indiana's field goal kicker this season, replacing the graduated Logan Justus.

Indiana fans have already seen Campbell hit a big field goal under pressure once before.

During the 2019 Old Oaken Bucket Game in West Lafayette, Justus had a rare game, missing three consecutive field goals, which happened to be his first missed kicks of the season.

With five minutes to go in the game, Indiana was up five and had a 4th and 13 at the Purdue 23. Tom Allen decided to call upon Campbell, who had only attempted and made one field goal earlier in the season in a blowout win against Eastern Illinois.

So the redshirt freshman trotted out onto the field in poor conditions and nailed a 41-yard field goal to go up eight. It was huge field goal as Purdue scored a touchdown on its next possession. Indiana went on to win the game in double overtime 44-41, reclaiming the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2016.

To this day, Campbell still remembers the exact conditions of that kick: Rainy, wind was left to right, the wind was sort of at his back but it kept changing.

"I think that kick helped me tremendously. I came in and did not get to play that much. I went out and hit a big field goal and that lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders," Campbell said. "It told me that I could go out there and hit big kicks. It really brought my confidence up from that game."

Indiana kicker Charles Campbell kicks the ball down the field during Indiana's fall camp on Oct. 5. — Indiana kicker Charles Campbell kicks the ball down the field during Indiana's fall camp on Oct. 5 / Indiana Athletics

The pressure, the confidence, everything about that kick has carried momentum for Campbell as he gets set to begin his first collegiate season as the starting kicker.

In Indiana's first preseason scrimmage, Campbell blasted a 57-yard field goal through the uprights.

Chuck from 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏.@chuck_campbell3 | #IUFB pic.twitter.com/peH8Nwv29y
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 3, 2020

"Out on the field by myself, I can hit from around 63 yards," Campbell said. "If the wind is blowing at my back and it is good outside, warm, maybe 65. We will see."

During quarantine, Campbell was back home in Tennessee, and he would go to Nashville to work out with his kicking coach from his hometown, James Wilhoit.

It was during those sessions where Campbell was able to focus in on his height and distance, as well as his confidence.

"Knowing my own kicking swing and always being able to kick within myself no matter what distance," Campbell said. "So like, a long field goal, treating it as a short one, not over-kicking, and that's pretty much all we worked on."

The defense tries the distract Indiana Hoosiers kicker Charles Campbell (93) during the Cream-Crimson spring game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday, April 12, 2019. — The defense tries the distract Indiana Hoosiers kicker Charles Campbell (93) during the Cream-Crimson spring game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday, April 12, 2019 :: Bobby Goddin/USA Today Sports

Campbell was also very close with Justus, so he was able to gain a lot of knowledge from the former Indiana kicker.

Justus had his fair share of big kicks as well as big misses, and he taught Campbell how to handle those situations.

With a very tough schedule coming up for the Hoosiers, Campbell is ready to be the guy who Indiana needs to step up and make big kicks.

"He's risen to the occasion here in camp," Teegardin said. "He's kicked really well. I'm excited for him. I think he's going to score a lot of points for the Hoosiers."

Related Stories: