Don’t try telling Jack Campbell that Seth Benson plays in his shadow
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Senior linebacker Jack Campbell was walking towards where members of the Iowa football team were being interviewed by the media on Tuesday when he saw fellow senior linebacker Seth Benson surrounded by reporters.
Campbell smiled as if to say that’s my good buddy, and he deserves all that attention, and his time in the spotlight.
“If you give him an option of doing something for himself or for someone else, it’s automatic that he’ll do it for the other person,” Benson said of Campbell. “He really doesn’t want to do anything for himself.
“He just wants to be that teammate that other people can look towards and that’s really the man he is. And he doesn’t just talk about it, or lack of, he’s really about it.”
Campbell and Benson, in addition to being one of the best linebacker duos in the Big Ten with a combined 56 starts between them heading into Saturday’s game at Minnesota, are the closest of friends.
Campbell is the more decorated of the two linebackers as a Butkus, Lombardi and Bednarik finalist, but don’t try telling Campbell that Benson plays in his shadow.
“Oh, no, I feel like I play in his shadow,” Campbell said.

That wasn’t just Campbell giving disingenuous lip service. He truly meant that about Benson, and is much more comfortable talking about Benson’s accomplishment as a Hawkeye than his own.
“He’s doesn’t like talking about himself,” Benson said of Campbell.
Campbell and Benson stood about 20 feet apart answering questions during Tuesday’s press conference at the Iowa football facility.
They are two of best players on the team, and two of the best spokespersons for the team because they both represent so much of what Iowa football represents under Kirk Ferentz.
Neither was heavily recruited and they both have embraced the team-first mentality that Kirk Ferentz pushes on a daily basis.
They both have made each other better, too, as people and as players.
The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Campbell is considered one of the best college linebackers in the country, and one of the best in program history.
The Cedar Falls native leads Iowa with 100 tackles and his average of 10.0 per game leads the Big Ten.
But when asked if Campbell is a better linebacker or a better teammate, Benson didn’t hesitate.
“Better teammate, for sure,” Benson said.
The Iowa defense, along with special teams, have led the resurgence this season.
Iowa is currently in a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten West Division with records of 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play despite having an offense that is ranked 130th out of 131 teams nationally.
Iowa would win the West Division for the second year in a row if it were to defeat Minnesota and Nebraska in the last two games, and if Illinois were to lose to either Michigan or Northwestern.
“I would just say it comes within each person on this team individually,” Campbell said when asked why the defense has been so successful this season. “No matter what you say, or how much film you watch, you’ve got to go out there and do it. Actions are always louder than words.

“And I feel like each guy individually has taken those actions and those steps to just do their job every single snap. It’s not always perfect. We’re striving for perection knowing that we’ll never reach it. But right now, we’re just going to continue to find little ways to continue to improve. That’s the main focus right now. And if we can do that, we’ll just keep going.”
Some fans might be surprised to know that while Campbell is the more highly regarded of the two linebackers, Benson actually has started more games as a Hawkeye with 31 career starts to Campbell’s 25.
“I’m just lucky because I think when we rotated I was the first one to go out there,” Benson said of having more career starts than Campbell.
Less than a month ago, the Iowa football team was mired in a three-game losing streak and many on the outside were worried that the team was on the verge of collapse.
The low point was when Iowa committed six turnovers during a 54-10 loss against Ohio State on Oct. 22 in Columbus, Ohio.
It was Iowa’s third loss in a row and hope was fleeting, at least on the outside.
On the inside where it really matters, the Iowa players and coaches have just kept working and focusing on the next challenge ahead because that is really the only option.
And that’s where leadership becomes so important, or more specifically, senior leadership.
Talk to either Campbell or Benson for just a few minutes and you’ll see that Iowa is in good hands when it comes to having veteran leadership.

“Any time that you think about a Saturday I feel like, for me, I always get a little bit of anxiety, but I feel like it’s almost a good sign because I think it shows that you care and that you don’t want the other team to win,” Campbell said. “And I hope that everyone else in the building, and my opponents feel the same way because then that’ going to produce one of the best football games that a fan can watch.”
Campbell started shaking his head probably from being embarrassed while being told on Tuesday that Benson had just called him a great linebacker, and one of the best he’s ever seen.
The praise clearly made Campbell uncomfortable, but when told that Benson had also called him a better teammate than linebacker, Campbell paused briefly and nearly became emotional as he tried to figure out how to respond.
“That means a lot to me,” Campbell said. “He’s a year older than me so when I came in, he’s showed me a lot of things, and how he’s worked. His work ethic is second to none. So, when you have a guy like that, that I can look up to, and model myself not only as a football player but as a human being, I take advantage of that every single day, and I]m just so appreciative of everything that he’s done for me and will continue to do for me.
“He’s just a great friend and I can say it right back to him; he’s one of the best linebackers and the smartest linebacker and the toughest linebacker that I’ve ever played with. So, I’ll just continue to cherish that friendship and just continue to work to finish this season strong.”
The fact that Benson is a fifth-year senior, while Campbell is a fourth-year junior sort of helps to set the foundation for their friendship because Campbell looks up to Benson, almost like a little brother.
“He’s the epitome of a great teammate,” Campbell said of Benson. “And he will do whatever it takes to get his job done in every situation.
“He’s a fantastic football player. He deserves everything he gets.”
And while Campbell projects as a player that will almost certainly get picked pretty high in the 2023 NFL draft, the 6-0, 232-pound Benson isn’t sure about his future.
He could take advantage of his free Covid year and return for another season, or try to prove the naysayers wrong by purshing a professional career.
“I really haven’t thought about it too much,” said Benson, who is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “This season has been a good one, so I’m just really focused on this week and then the next week.”
Benson was asked Tuesday if it had dawned on him that these could be his last few games as a Hawkeye, playing alongside his close friend and fellow linebacker.
“Five years have gone by fast,” Benson said. “That’s something you do think about, the times in Kinnick, the times in practice, the times with your friends, the times with your teammates. You spend 18 hours with them a day and those come to an end. And then you’ve just got to enjoy every last second of it.”
One of Benson’s fondest memories as a Hawkeye is all those times when he and Campbell have gone hunting together.
“You know, those times when you can just get away from football and get away from a life a little bit and kind of bond,” Benson said. “Those are my favorite memories.”
Despite being under-recruited and under-sized, and in Campbell vast shadow, even though Campbell doesn’t like to admit it, Benson has carved out quite a career as a Hawkeye with 31 career starts and 236 career tackles.
“Coming here, I really just wanted to play special teams and from there see if I could play defensively,” Benson said. “I’ve said it before, I had goals set out for myself, and sometimes, you’ve got to make bigger goals and that’s kind of what’s happened for me. And I hope I leave the jersey in a better place.
“And when I look back, people can just say that I gave it my all and I gave everything to this program and was a great teammates. You can kind of throw the starts or whatever out the door. People remember what you meant to them and that’s really what I want, to make an impact on people and be the best teammate I can be.”