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