Matt Campbell says he hasn't thought about the NFL

Lofty expectations beat the alternative

No Horns Down

Brock Purdy and staying grounded

ARLINGTON, Texas — It was inevitable that Matt Campbell would be asked to address the NFL question during Big 12 Conference Media Days this week.

So what about it, coach?

“Haven’t really put a lot of thought into it,” Campbell told a couple hundred reporters Tuesday. “My goal and dream was to be like my father — to be a head high school coach.”

It’s a question that he'll continue to face as long as his football team at Iowa State continues to see success on the field.

Campbell's name was thrown around after eight NFL coaches got their walking papers last winter. NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport even reported that the New York Jets were denied an interview with Campbell.

His name was also floated with his home-state Cleveland Browns.

“I have a great passion turning (young people) into men,” he said.

Campbell already turned down the NFL once earlier in his career. While working as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green, Campbell was assigned to assist New England Patriots director of personnel Scott Pioli with everything he wanted during a trip to the school.

Pioli was so impressed with his host that he asked if Campbell would like to interview for a scouting department position the Patriots had open.

To which Campbell politely said something along the lines of "Thanks, but no thanks."

During an interview with the Register last season, he said:

“I absolutely love college coaching. What I love about college coaching is that it’s more than just winning and losing football games. There’s a sense that you can still make a difference in young people's lives. Whether you can or can’t at that (professional) level — I don’t know.”

More Cyclones news from Big 12 Media Days

Managing expectations

Campbell set the narrative early in his press conference when he was asked about lofty 2019 expectations that include being picked to finish third in the Big 12 — Iowa State’s coach didn’t blush and he was ready for the question:

"I don't mean this to be negative, but if we worried about what the expectations of our program were outside our walls, the first three years, we would have crumbled really fast."

As an example, he pointed to the type of questions he was being asked Tuesday, compared to those he was asked in his first season at Iowa State, back in 2016.

“All the questions (before Year One) was what color uniforms we’re wearing (and) what’s your entrance song,” Campbell said. “People cared about stuff that didn’t matter.

“Now, people are talking about the team. They’re asking football questions.”

His team went 3-9 in the first season and left fans wondering when the program would finally take off. It enters the 2019 season having gone 8-5 during the past two seasons.

“We’re not worrying about what anybody outside our walls says,” Campbell said. “We’re creating unity within our walls.”

That’s progress.

No horns down

Texas comes to Ames on Nov. 16. The Longhorns were picked to finish second in the Big 12, and Iowa State third. A big game?

Absolutely.

No matter how big, though, it’s wise that, if they have the opportunity, Cyclones players don’t flash “Horns Down.”

Big 12 director of officiating Greg Burks was almost non-committal on whether use of the hand gesture would be met with an unsportsmanlike penalty.

"The answer I’ll give you is, 'It depends,'" Burks said Tuesday.

Opposing players have turned the “Hook ’em” hand sign upside down seemingly forever. It resurfaced last season when West Virginia did it, and when Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley asked for clarification from the league office before last season’s Big 12 championship game.

“It’s a hot topic,” Burks said. “I know people want us to be very definitive on that, but it’s like almost any touchdown celebration.

“Is it directed at an opponent or just a celebration as a team?”

Purdy staying grounded

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy is all over the place on pre-season watch lists — most recently, Tuesday's inclusion on the Davey O'Brien list, an award that goes to the nation's top quarterback. Purdy's buzz is national.

“The nice thing about Brock is you never have to worry about him staying grounded,” Campbell said. “Brock keeps everybody else grounded, which is one thing you hope to have in a guy that’s leading your football program.”

Randy Peterson is the Iowa State columnist for the Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete.

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