2nd Lt. Caleb Campbell is good enough for the NFL. But that's not enough for the Army.

SwiftFan87 · August 6, 2008

Great article by Rick Reilly. I think that's BS what the Army did to Campbell.

2nd Lt. Campbell was a surprisingly fine safety for Army the past four years. So surprisingly fine that in April he was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, the first West Point cadet taken in 11 years.

The Lions picked him because the Army assured the NFL it had a policy allowing cadets with "exceptional skills" to delay military service and go pro as a way of pumping up recruiting.

So the tiny town of Perryton, Texas, threw Campbell a big party in the church basement the day before he left for training camp since, not only was he the first local kid to go to West Point, he was the first one ever drafted. Campbell flew to Detroit and got his jersey (No. 47, in honor of All-Pro safety John Lynch) and a locker with his nameplate on it and his playbook. And in mid-July he got a room at a Dearborn Marriott, just like all the other rookies, and stayed up wondering what the NFL was all going to be like.

And then, the day before camp began, Lions GM Matt Millen called Campbell and his playbook into his office and told him it was all over. The Army was rescinding the policy. Campbell had to report immediately.

rest here, http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id...mp;lid=tab2pos1