Although AJ Dillon was born in Baltimore, Maryland, he found his second home playing for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. Having concluded his primaries at New London High School, Dillon soon joined Boston College Eagles, where he played for three years. Within those three years, Dillon racked up 4,382 rushing yards and 38 rushing TDs to his name.

Even though the Packers RB mostly finds himself playing back-up whenever called upon, Dillon has delivered to the best of his abilities. However, his rise to the NFL hasn’t been as simple as anyone would have thought. Dillon was raised by his single mother, Jessyca Campbell, who continues to be a single parent as his dad, Jameal Dillon, left the family when the Packers RB was young.

Since then, Dillon has maintained secrecy about his father refusing to open up in public. However, his mother is everything that Dillon could have hoped for, “I have no shame in saying I’m definitely a mama’s boy.”

From raising a boy in New London to doing everything herself, Campbell shared her struggles, stating, “Not typical. I just wanted to show him you can keep doing it if you set your mind to it. It’s going to be a struggle, but you have to put in the effort.” But looking back at Dillon’s mother’s struggles, the word ‘struggle’ itself would be an understatement.

She used to be super busy while working 4-5 jobs simultaneously. Due to such hectic schedules, Jessyca sometimes had to call her friends or family to take care of Dillon, as she couldn’t always be present. She even had to go back to college to complete her master’s degree to pursue better opportunities. This made their bond stronger as the two used to complete their homework together while sitting at the kitchen table.

Recalling those years, Dillon stated, “We grew up together. She had me at 20. She put herself through school, working four or five jobs, getting her master’s degree, becoming a teacher, and being Teacher of the Year in our town. It’s unbelievable. She’s unbelievable.” Jessyca had a huge role to play in Dillon’s football career as she continued her support amid the rough times they went through.

Jessyca Campbell and her continued support of AJ Dillon’s NFL career

AJ was just 7 years old when he first talked about his dream of playing in the NFL. Reminiscing that precious moment, her mother said, “Him saying it is one thing. Every kid wants to do something amazing.” Listening to her son’s dream, Jessyca did her best to help Dillon at that time, from running plays in the backyard to teaching him the terminologies.

Continuing on the journey, his mom added, “It was no longer me waking him up in the morning to go run bleachers or do timed lifts.” Well, Dillion continued to show the desire and dedication that Jessyca used to talk about when referring to pursuing a dream. But his mother couldn’t always be present at the games of her child. As she missed two of AJ’s matches when he was in college, one because she was a godmother at a party while the other was due to a hurricane.

However, Jessyca still wanted to be present at his son’s game while having the thought of driving through the storm, to which AJ said, “We told her she can’t do that. But that’s her. Home and away, she’s been there. She’s had my back since I was a baby.” As Jessyca continues to support Dillon in his NFL dream, the Packers RB continues to show his athleticism on the field. Last season, Dillon racked up 613 rushing yards and 2 TDs alongside 22 catches in just 15 games.

But can AJ Dillon continue to showcase his talents after re-signing with the Packers earlier this year as they hope for a strong run with the 2024 NFL regular season almost on the horizon?