Report: Bears fire director of player engagement Campbell originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LaMar "Soup" Campbell joined the Bears in 2017 as the director of player engagement, earning the trust of countless players during his time with the organization.
That time ended Friday when general manager Ryan Poles dismissed Campbell, The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs reported.
Campbell's ability to form a connection with each player made him a trusted member of former head coach Matt Nagy's staff.
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"He does a really, really good job of understanding what these players are going through on a daily basis, not even just in 2020 but in prior years," Nagy told Bears.com in 2020. "He builds unbelievably great relationships with them. They trust [him]. They understand [him]."
Campbell was not only trusted by players but also by ownership. Earlier this offseason, chairman George McCaskey appointed Campbell to the search committee to find the Bears' next general manager and head coach. Campbell's job was to decide which candidates would be a good fit with the players already in the Bears' locker room.
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That search ultimately led the Bears to hire Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.
Campbell, 45, played five seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions before returning to Wisconsin to finish his education and serving as the assistant athletic director of student-athlete engagement.
