The road to Geneseo is one that many athletes do not travel. For the players that do, they dedicate almost all of their time and energy to the sport for four years. But this isn’t the case for Geneseo senior soccer defender Brad Campion.
After winning the NCAA Division II National Championship at Southern New Hampshire University, Campion joined the Knights as a transfer in 2014. Campion explained that the adjustment from playing soccer at a Division II level to a Division III level was a big change for him.
“On and off the field, there are so many differences. At SNHU, it was athletics first—players were on scholarships and a lot of international players played,” Campion said. “Then when I came here, I took on a bigger leadership role within the team. I had to set an example of responsibility and hustle and try to put us in the best position to win.”
Campion has had a successful career for the Knights, one that saw him start all 39 games that he played in. Campion has contributed five goals over the course of his two seasons—which for a defensive player is rather impressive. Campion, however, will be the first to attribute his success to his team rather than his talent.
“I have always been a ‘team first’ player, so I worked hard in practice and in games so we could put ourselves in the best position to win. It didn’t always end with the result we wanted, but we gave it all we got,” Campion said. “Out of conference, we lost one game, so we thought if we could take care of business outside of the conference and win within the conference, we could get an NCAA bid. Obviously we couldn’t do that, but it was still a great experience none the less.”
Campion has also been recognized for his excellence in the classroom, receiving the 2015 College Sports Information Directors of America First-Team Academic All-District award. This annual award recognizes the nation's top student athletes for their performances both on the playing field and in the classroom. Campion currently has a 3.77 grade point average—which combined with his soccer ability puts him in the top tier for success at the Division III level.
“It is an honor to win this award, as there are so many great players across our conference and across the region,” Campion said. “It has been hard work but I am proud to accept this award and to be a role model for younger players on my team to work hard on and off the field.”
Although Campion will never suit up for the Knights again, he has a lifetime of memories and friendships to look back on.
“I think the biggest thing I’ll miss are the bonds that I have made,” he said. “I have made so many great friends and met great people in my time here and I definitely will miss not being around that every day.”