After Sunday’s losses, only pair of Cardinals make trip

Calais Campbell admittedly considered joining some of his Arizona teammates in skipping the Pro Bowl after Sunday’s loss to Carolina in the NFC championship game.

But rather than begin the offseason at home, the Cardinals defensive lineman chose to get back on another lengthy flight two days after the loss to end the season in Hawaii.

“It’s hard because my body still feels like I just played a game, because I did,” Campbell said after a practice at the Turtle Bay Resort. “I’m not as fresh as some other guys, but it’s a good time.

“It definitely helps me take my mind off of it and puts a smile on my face. When you lose it sucks.”

Of the 14 players selected to the Pro Bowl from the losing teams in the conference championship games, only Campbell and Cardinals teammate Justin Bethel made the trip to Hawaii for Sunday’s Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos voted to the game were naturally replaced as they prepare for the Super Bowl. After their losses on Sunday, all seven Patriots and five of the seven Cardinals pulled out due to injuries.

“I’m just going to sit and sulk at home, so might as well go have a good time,” Campbell said of his decision to attend. “So I did contemplate not coming since I have body things, stuff still hurting, but hopefully coming to Hawaii would cheer me up and it has. It’s definitely cheered me up a little bit.”

Campbell and Bethel — teammates again this week on Team Irvin — contributed to Arizona’s 13-3 run in the regular season and an NFC West title. The Cardinals pulled out a dramatic overtime win over Green Bay in the divisional round of the playoffs but were overwhelmed by Carolina in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

Campbell said the trip to Hawaii doesn’t exactly provide closure to the season, “but it reminds you how much success we had this year and how fun it is to be around the best of the best,” he said.

“This is a complete honor when you get voted to the Pro Bowl and so much fun when we come out and get to hang out with the other guys.

“All of us wish we were still playing right now. We were just playing last week, so we had a real good chance, but everybody on this field wishes they were still playing. Only one team’s going to be happy at the end of the year and hopefully next year we’ll be the ones.”

Campbell earned his first Pro Bowl selection last year when the game was played in his home stadium in Arizona and played against Team Irvin as a member of the team headed by Cris Carter. He was voted in again this season after posting five sacks among his 61 total tackles.

As impressive as his physical presence was, the impact the 6-foot-8, 300-pound defensive tackle left on his former school just over 12 months ago was more impressive.

Campbell donated $1.6 million to the University of Miami last January to create an endowed scholarship for a Hurricanes defensive lineman, the largest such donation from a former student-athlete in the school’s history.

“I wanted to send a message about just getting your education and how important education is,” Campbell said. “A lot of my teammates when I was in school wanted to be in the NFL and I don’t know if they really valued their education like they could have.

“So I felt like I wanted to send a message to show how important I think it is to get your degree and utilize the opportunity. Because a lot of student-athletes, they all have dreams of being in the big league, but only a small percentage really does get a chance. So take advantage of your opportunities, get a good education and try to make a difference in the world.”