New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell is days away from the biggest game of his life, but the 22‑year‑old admitted there’s something far more frightening to him than the Seattle Seahawks’ defense.
Campbell, who stands 1.98 meters tall and weighs 144 kilograms, according to ESPN, didn’t hesitate when asked during a media session to name “his most irrational fear.” His answer came instantly—cats.
The former LSU Tiger will be responsible for protecting rookie quarterback Drake Maye from Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday (February 8). Yet Campbell says a much smaller creature has haunted him for years.
Speaking to reporters on February 3, he explained that his fear stems from a startling encounter during his teenage years.
“So crazy,” he began. “I was staying the night at my boy’s house whenever we were in high school. And I went in the room that I was sleeping in and it was pitch black, dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
“And I take my shirt off, I’m about to get into bed, and I just hear [a hiss]. And a cat jumped out from under his bed onto my leg. I booted that thing up against the ceiling.”
Reporters pressed him on whether he truly launched the cat or was exaggerating. Campbell didn’t back down.
“Yeah, I kicked it. It was biting me. I’m not gonna just let it,” he said.
When asked if the cat survived the encounter, he joked, “Hopefully not.”
The reporters asked if he wanted to take the opportunity to say sorry to the cat while live on air.
“No, it needs to apologize for biting my damn leg,” he said with a laugh.
Campbell’s fear may be unusual for a man of his size, but he’s not entirely alone in feeling uneasy around felines.
A 2021 YouGov poll found that Americans aren’t nearly as confident in their hand‑to‑paw combat skills as one might expect—even against small animals.
When focusing specifically on house cats, the survey showed that 69 percent of Americans believe they could win a fight against one without a weapon, while roughly 17–24 percent think they would lose, and the remainder aren’t sure.
Campbell’s unexpected confession added a dose of levity to the Patriots’ Super Bowl week, just four days before they face the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in California for the 2026 championship.
Whether cats remain his greatest fear or not, Campbell will soon confront a far more formidable challenge on the field.
Newsweek reached out to New England Patriots for comment.
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