Parris Campbell has some scars from the first four seasons of his NFL career — both literal and figurative.
Campbell, who signed a one-year deal with the Giants this week, battled injuries in his first three seasons with the Colts before playing all 17 games last year.
Campbell missed 34 games in his first three years.
He dealt with three different injuries, each of which required surgery, as a rookie.
He suffered a concussion in a car accident before his second year, then tore the MCL and PCL in his left knee during that season.
He also broke a foot during his third season.
He bounced back last year to have 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns, while playing in all 17 games.
Campbell said while the injuries were tough to deal with, they made him grow.
“My career is what it was,” Campbell said Friday during a Zoom call with reporters. “It was tough, very tough those first three years. Being able to bounce back from each and every injury that I had, I really learned a lot about myself. I feel like I grew as a man, as a person, a player, obviously. It allowed me to grow in so many different areas because I’ve seen a lot of myself that I didn’t know that I had. I was able to fight and bounce back so many different times. It really showed me a lot.”
“Then just speaking in terms of last year, being able to play a full 17 [games], that’s all I ever wanted to do. Just given the history of my career, that’s all I ever wanted to do. Being able to do that, I was blessed, grateful.”
The Giants saw enough to hand Campbell a contract worth a base of $3 million and they hope he can give quarterback Daniel Jones and the offense a boost.
Campbell said his injuries were unavoidable.
“The injuries that I had, there were things that were just freak accidents,” he said. “You couldn’t really draw it up. They weren’t avoidable to me. They were things that happened and just had some bad luck. Like I said, was able to play all 17 last year, so I was extremely blessed.”
Campbell said he has texted with Jones and new tight end Darren Waller already since he agreed to come to the Giants.
Campbell was on the sideline during Week 16, when Jones ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ 38-10 win over the Colts that clinched a playoff berth.
“It definitely was not as exciting as it was for the Giants fans at that time,” Campbell said. “It was rough. Obviously, in Indy last year, it was a tough season. But we fought our way through it. Speaking specifically on that day, I was on the sideline just watching Daniel run up and down the sideline going crazy.
“I forgot how many yards he rushed for, but every time I looked up at the screen, he was running for like 20 yards. Just really watching the offense, you can tell that they were just having fun. The chemistry that they showed out there on the field, getting guys in the right position to make plays. They had guys making plays all over the field. It looked fun and it looked fluid. Now being in this seat after having seen that from afar, I’m just super excited for what’s to come.”