Mark Campbell (tight end)

Mark Campbell

No. 83, 84, 80
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1975-12-06) December 6, 1975
Place of birth:	Clawson, Michigan
Height:
Weight:
Career information
High school:	Bishop Foley Catholic High School
College:	Michigan
Undrafted:	1999
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1999-2002) Buffalo Bills (2003-2005) New Orleans Saints (2006-2008)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 146 Receiving yards: 1,356 Receiving TDs: 12 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Mark Joseph Campbell (December 6, 1975) is a former American football player. He played professional football for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a tight end for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2000 and 2002, the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2005, and the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and 2008. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1998.

Early years

Campbell was born in Clawson, Michigan, in 1975. He grew up in Clawson and attended Bishop Foley Catholic High School in Madison Heights, Michigan.

University of Michigan

Campbell enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1994 and played college football on head coach Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1995 to 1998. Campbell began his collegiate career as a fullback, starting one game at the position as a redshirt freshman in 1995 and five games in 1996. In 1997, he started one game each at fullback and tight end. As a senior in 1998, he started seven games—four at fullback, two at flanker and one at tight end. In four years at Michigan, Campbell caught 32 passes for 357 yards and one touchdown.

Professional football

Campbell was undrafted in the 1999 NFL Draft. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns and played for them from 1999 to 2000 and again in 2002. He appeared in 46 games for the Browns, 30 as the team's starting tight end, and caught 46 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns.

In February 2003, the Browns traded Campbell to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. After playing well both as a blocker and receiver in the first eight games of the 2003 Buffalo Bills season, Campbell was signed to a multi-year contract extension. Campbell remained with the Bills from 2003 to 2005. He appeared in 42 games for the Bills, 33 as a starting tight end, and caught 70 passes for 681 yards and six touchdowns.

Campbell concluded his NFL career playing for the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. He appeared in 23 games, 14 as a starter at tight end, for the Saints and caught 30 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He retired after suffering a knee injury late in the 2008 season, and having undergone seven surgeries in 10 years to repair a variety of football injuries. He turned down an offer to play for the 2009 Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV.

In eight NFL seasons, Campbell appeared in 111 games, 77 as a starter, and caught 146 yards for 1,356 yards. Sports Illustrated in 2010 called him "one of those blue collar guys who carves out a solid career in the NFL ... without ever receiving much in the way of accolades or time in the spotlight."

Later years

After retiring from football, Campbell took a job with a medical device company and as a broadcaster covering games for the Big Ten Network.