Bickley: Time is now for Arizona Cardinals’ Calais Campbell to reach his prime

Calais Campbell is a mountain of a man. To stand in his presence is to be awed by the power of genetics. He’s so big that he never had to get mean.

That has to change in 2015.

“It’s funny,” teammate Jerraud Powers said. “If there’s anything holding him back, it’s that he’s too nice.”

Entering his eighth season, Campbell is under internal pressure. The Cardinals want to win a Super Bowl. They need someone to regularly harass and sack quarterbacks. Their best candidate is their 6-foot-8 defensive end who just made the Pro Bowl, but remains something of an underachiever. With his size and wingspan, Campbell should be able to reach his ceiling of potential.

CARDINALS: Cardinals give QB Palmer day off

Campbell admits as much. He’s also been the center of much prodding from head coach Bruce Arians, who sees a player built like Reggie White, who talks in a gravelly voice that sounds like Reggie White, but doesn’t always play like the former Eagles/Packers great.

Arians even chided Campbell after he sacked Russell Wilson three times in a 2014 loss at Seattle, pointing out the two missed sacks he left on the table.

“It was good for him to get to the Pro Bowl last year, and to be recognized as one of the premier guys in the league,” Arians said. “We’ve talked a lot about him not disappearing in some games, whether he’s being double-teamed or not, and also becoming more of a bell-cow leader. A guy that’s out there making all the plays, not doing all of the talking. But he’s not a big talker. We’ve got such good leadership in the room that sometimes he doesn’t have to.”

CARDINALS: Training camp schedule, information

Tough love? Maybe. But the best coaches find a way to coax every ounce of talent from their 53-man roster. Remember how former offensive coordinator Todd Haley agitated Larry Fitzgerald, calling him a one-trick pony? That brand of hard coaching helped Fitzgerald develop into one of the NFL’s most likeable superstars.

The same needs to happen with Campbell, who has never reached double-digit sacks in any of his previous seven seasons. He needs to be more than an affable, effective, popular player. He needs to become a Tower of Terror.

CARDINALS: Cards hoping to bolster kick-return game

“I feel like I’ve always been good but never been my best,” Campbell said. “I’ve made quality plays at times, but I haven’t been consistently dominant like I could be. I’ve been working hard to make sure I can dominate this year. This is the best I’ve ever felt mentally and physically at the same time, in terms of understanding the game and understanding how it all comes together. I guess they call it your prime. We’ll see what happens, but I’m excited.”

Optimism is a common theme in training camp. Rare is the player who doesn’t proclaim to be in the best shape of his life. But Campbell has good reason to believe he’s on the cusp of a breakout season.

CARDINALS: Camping out: 1st-round pick D.J. Humphries is 'taking baby steps'

During the offseason, he was among a group of NFL players who trained at Jay Glazer’s mixed martial arts facility in West Hollywood. Better known for his role as NFL insider at Fox Sports, Glazer also has a real passion for taking the skills, training methods and mindset of professional fighters and translating that to professional football.

Campbell was hoping to improve in specific areas (how he leverages his hands for power) and in more general categories (fighting through pain and exhaustion). He admits that he doesn’t “play sports mean,” but his toughness is unquestioned, displayed in his ability to play through injuries and come back from injuries.

He just needs to put it all together, and his attendance at Glazer’s facility has made him feel an unprecedented level of readiness for the upcoming season.

“He tries to get you, condition-wise or strength-wise, to your breaking point,” Campbell said. “There are times when you’re sucking wind and exhausted, but you can’t show your fatigue. You keep grinding and keep working until it’s over. But I’m pretty tough. I didn’t break too much.”

NFL: Records projections for all 32 teams for 2015 season

The gym is called “Unbreakable.” Hopefully, it’s made him un-block-able, turning Campbell into the defensive end that Arians craves and his team sorely needs.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him at twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to “Bickley and Marotta,” weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

PHOTOS: Cardinals training camp