Best in 25 Years Series: Campbell is Northwestern's top safety

It's been 25 years since Northwestern's magical run to the Rose Bowl in 1995. WildcatReport is celebrating that Silver Anniversary by finding out who's been the best player at each position since that legendary team revitalized Wildcat football.

BEST IN 25 YEARS SERIES:

OFFENSE: QB Dan Persa l RB Justin Jackson l WR D'Wayne Bates l TE Drake Dunsmore l T Zach Strief l G Ryan Padgett l C Rob Johnson

DEFENSE: DE Corey Wootton l DT Matt Rice l MLB Pat Fitzgerald l OLB Napoleon Harris l CB Sherrick McManis

We figured that this safety vote would be the most competitive of any position in this Best in 25 Years Series. We weren't disappointed.

We weren't disappointed in the outcome, either. The fans picked Ibraheim Campbell as the best Northwestern safety over the last quarter century.

Campbell, who played for the Wildcats from 2011-14, took 28.4% of the votes to claim the title in what was a heated battle. He edged out Hudhaifa Ismaeli (1994-96), who earned 20.9%, and Brad Phillips (2006-09), who finished with 17.9%.

Fans spread their votes out overall all seven candidates in this deep and talented position group. William Bennett (1992-95) got 11.9%, Godwin Igwebuike (2014-17) 10.4%, Brian Peters (2008-11) 7.5% and Eric Collier (1994-97) 3.0% to round out the field.

Northwestern has certainly had its share of standout safeties over the last couple of decades. And Campbell is a worthy king.

Maybe the most athletic player of them all, Campbell was a star running back at Philadelphia (Pa.) Chestnut Hill Academy. He chose Northwestern over Boston College and Stanford, telling WildcatReport back in 2009 that the deciding factor was the official visit he took to Evanston on Oct. 31. Despite watching the Wildcats lose to No. 12 Penn State, 34-13, he saw something in the way players battled through injuries, including losing starting quarterback Mike Kafka.

Talk about a glass-half-full guy.

"I really liked the players and coaches, and the message they were sending me about the program and where it's headed," said Campbell, who was one of NU's top targets in the 2010 recruiting class.

BALLOT: Who was the best Northwestern safety over the last 25 years?

Smooth and fluid, Campbell was an equal opportunity playmaker. He could hit like a linebacker to fill a hole at the line of scrimmage, and he could cover the deep middle like a cornerback.

Campbell led the team in tackles, PBUs, interceptions and forced fumbles at various points in his career. A four-year starter, he finished with 45 starts and 316 tackles. He is tied for third in program history with 10 career interceptions and tied for seventh with 24 pass breakups.

More than statistics, though, Campbell made big plays.

In 2011, as a redshirt freshman, he led the Wildcats in tackles and had two interceptions in a game against Michigan. As a result, he earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

In 2012, he led the team with 12 PBUs as the Wildcats won 10 games and the program's first bowl game in 64 years. He had a tremendous performance at Michigan State, racking up 11 tackles, a forced fumble, two PBUs and a hit on QB Andrew Maxwell that resulted in a pick-6.

In 2013, he led the team with four interceptions and completed a streak where he intercepted a pass in five consecutive games spanning 2012 and 2013.

Finally, in 2014, as a senior, Campbell tied for the Big Ten lead with four forced fumbles, including two in the Wildcats' upset of Notre Dame. His strip of Cam McDaniel with 1:28 left led to NU's game-tying field goal and an eventual overtime win.

Campbell, a second-team All-Big Ten pick as a senior, was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Now in his sixth season in the league, Campbell was activated to the Indianapolis Colts' active roster last week.

Northwestern highlights

Campbell drafted in 2015