Tennessee offensive tackle John Campbell Jr. became a internet sensation Saturday when he played through the echo of the whistle with an insane block on a Jaylen Wright touchdown against Virginia.
The Vols ran a speed option to the left and Campbell passed the defensive end to block the linebacker while Joe Milton III read the unblocked end and pitched the ball to Sampson who walked into the end zone.
But Campbell’s block didn’t end wen Sampson found the checkerboards. The Miami transfer blocked the defender all the way to the sideline and into a television reporter.
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The impressive block quickly went viral on social media. A number of Vol players talked to the media Tuesday and discussed the play. Here’s what they had to say.
MY GOD John Campbell escorting a Cavalier to the stands🤯
I mean the UT kids are celebrating & he’s rolling this dude 8 yards out of the end zone!! pic.twitter.com/aeOS0MAltV
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 2, 2023
Defensive Tackle Omarr Norman-Lott
*Long pause while scratching his head
“Relentless,” Norman-Lott said with a laugh. “As a linebacker why are you still backpedalling? That was kind of my idea. Like just fall. What are you doing? But John is a relentless player I would call it.”
Interior Offensive Lineman Ollie Lane
“I’ve seen that clip about 100 times and it gets better every single time I watch it. One of the things it reminds me of is that one clip from The Blindside movie where he (Michael Oher) says, ‘Coach, I was just taking him to the bus.’ That’s what it made me think of. John is a hard worker and he plays hard and he’s a great guy. Seeing him put that type of effort on film really kind of motivates you to do more for guys like that.”
Defensive End Tyler Baron
“John Campbell, he’s a really big guy, but he’s got really good feet too. He showed that off all fall camp so we knew he was an elite tackle honestly. (He’s) Just showing the whole world what we’ve been seeing so it was nothing new honestly.”
John Campbell Jr.'s teammates react to his viral endzone play against Virginia on Saturday in Nashville pic.twitter.com/d7u9rTgziA
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) September 5, 2023
