The sight of Jack Campbell being carted off the field on a backboard left Detroit Lions fans fearing the worst. But just days after the linebacker suffered a frightening neck injury, His first statement brought encouragement and reactions from his Iowa sports family.
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“My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and support we’ve received over the past few days,” Campbell’s statement read, which was posted on social media by both the Lions and ESPN.
“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
Caitlin Clark was among the first to respond to the update. The Fever star reposted the ESPN post to her Instagram story, adding three blue heart emojis and tagging his wife, Megan Campbell. The gesture means a lot, considering the history between the three.
Megan, formerly Megan Meyer, played for Iowa during the 2020-21 season, Clark’s freshman year. Megan was a contributor off the bench that year, while Clark averaged 26.6 points to help the Hawkeyes reach the Sweet 16. Though Megan later transferred to Drake, her connection as a former teammate endured.
Iowa is also where Megan met her husband. Campbell was a star linebacker for the Hawkeyes’ football team, racking up 305 tackles over his career and culminating in an All-American selection in 2022, his senior season. The pair reportedly met in 2019, were married in 2024, and have a son together.
That connection to the Hawkeyes also drew a reaction from Kate Martin, who is another former teammate of Megan’s. She liked the post from the Lions, showing quiet support for the linebacker.
Yet another Hawkeye who reacted to the positive news was Gabbie Marshall, who reacted with another show of support for Jack and Megan. She liked the ESPN post and reposted it to her story with blue heart emojis and a short message.
“Love you guys!” she wrote, tagging Megan.
The reactions clearly brought together members of the Iowa women’s basketball team whose relationships have extended beyond basketball. Clark and Martin went on to the WNBA, while Marshall and Megan pursued different paths after college, but the supportive messages show that their connection has remained important.
Their support comes after a worrying incident has sidelined Campbell during Detroit’s November 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings. During the fourth quarter, Campbell went down after making his third tackle of the night on tight end TJ Hockenson, injuring his neck. He remained face down on the field until medical professionals arrived to assist him.
He was then immobilized and taken off the field before being transported to the local Henry Ford Hospital. Detroit later said the preliminary results were positive, and Campbell’s own statements now support that update.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell was moved by his linebacker’s update, which was delivered shortly before a team press conference that same day.
“That’s good news. That’s positive news,” Dan Campbell said. “We’re all thankful for that.”
In his statement, Jack Campbell also took the time to express gratitude to everyone involved in his recovery.
“I especially want to thank the athletic trainers and medical personnel who responded and cared for me on the field,” he said.
“I know those were difficult moments, and I’m incredibly grateful for the professionalism, compassion, and care you showed me. The way you handled everything and looked after me when I needed it most is something I’ll never forget.”
For now, Campbell’s focus remains on recovery. As the Lions linebacker continues to make progress, the support from Marshall, Martin, and Clark shows he has well-wishers far beyond Detroit.