** Campbell Q&A Series **
June 9, 2020: Chris Howard (1990,Air Force)
June 25, 2020: Robert Zatechka (1994,Nebraska)
August 12, 2020: Christian Wilkins (2019,Clemson)
August 26, 2020: Brad Culpepper (1991,Florida)
Sept. 10, 2020: Sam Acho (2010, Texas)
Sept. 24, 2020: Tom Burns (1993, Virginia)
Oct. 7, 2020: Brandon Roberts (2002, Wash U. in St. Louis (Mo.)
Oct. 21, 2020: Zach Terrell (2016, Western Michigan)
Nov. 4, 2020: Joaquin Gonzalez (2001, Miami [FL])
Nov. 18, 2020: Bobby Hoying (1995, Ohio State)
 

A two-time First-Team Academic All-American at Oklahoma. Darlington maintained a 3.91 GPA while earning a bachelor's degree in arts & sciences in just 2.5 years and playing center for the Sooners.  The Apopka, Florida, native played a key role in Oklahoma's offense, leading the Sooners to the 2015 Big 12 Conference title and the College Football Playoff Semifinals after posting an 11-1 record in the regular season. In 2014, he anchored a Sooner offensive line that allowed just nine sacks in 386 passing attempts. His commitment to excellence extended to his work in the community, and he received the 2015 University of Oklahoma Letzeiser Award, one of the highest student awards at OU. He served as president of the Big 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee; led Oklahoma's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter as its president for two years; and visited Haiti multiple times as part of the Mission of Hope program. Darlington served as an Administrative Fellow for the Student-Athlete Experience at the University of Oklahoma while also doing work as an analyst and co-host for Sooner Sports TV during the 2016 season. In 2017, he joined Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley's staff as a quality control coach/offensive assistant.

What does being a Campbell Trophy winner mean to you?
To me, being a Campbell Trophy winner is a tremendous honor. With the prestige comes a sense of responsibility to honor the legacy of Mr. Campbell and past winners in everything I undertake.

You earned a bachelor's degree in just 2.5 years. What motivated you to finish your undergraduate studies so quickly and what advice would you give current student-athletes about balancing academic and athletic pursuits? 
I wanted to take advantage of the time I had as a scholarship athlete to maximize my educational opportunities. By finishing my undergraduate degree so quickly, I was able to also complete my graduate degree before the end of my time as a Sooner football player.
 
You were part of the 2015 Sooner squad that made it to the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Describe that experience. How did it compare to the BCS era and do you prefer one over the other?
The 2015 team was the closest team I have ever been on. We loved playing together, practicing together, and doing life alongside one another. That is what made our championship run so special. Our performance in the CFP was disappointing, but the run it took to get there was the memory of a lifetime. I grew up watching the BCS, and as a player I much preferred the CFP format because we felt that we always had a chance to make a run. In the BCS format, it is very hard to get to the championship if you lose a game. In the CFP format, you can lose a game (like we did in 2015), and not feel as if all is lost.
 
How does a Florida kid end up at Oklahoma? What is so special about the Sooner program and the university as a whole?
Though I grew up in Florida, I was a Sooner fan from the start. My mom cheered for OU in the 80s, and she raised me a Sooner fan from afar. I grew up idolizing Sooner players and coaches, so getting an opportunity to attend OU was a dream come true for me. As a child, I was enamored with the pageantry and tradition. As a young adult, it was the sense of community and family that made my time at OU so remarkable.

You currently serve on the Sooners coaching staff. As the son of a longtime high school football coach, what were the most important lessons your father taught you and how has he influenced your coaching style?
As I get older, I understand my dad's coaching more and more. As a coach, he did an incredible job of creating a standard and holding the team to it. I used to think some of his expectations were unreasonable, but I now realize that those unreasonable expectations created a culture of excellence and discipline. He was the best I have ever been around at convincing kids to believe that they are special. He gets the very best of his players, and I aspire to be that kind of coach.

What's harder -- playing in a Red River Showdown or being the oldest of seven siblings?
Being the oldest of seven siblings, no doubt. Especially as they get older, they don't want to listen to me. If they would just listen to me, everything would be easier.
 
Favorite athlete (any sport)?
Michael Jordan.

Last book you read?
Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko.
 
Celebrity crush?
Blake Lively.
 
A genie grants you three wishes. What are they?
1. Exclusive rights to the Coronavirus vaccine.
2. More hours in a day.
3. A better golf swing. 

Campbell Trophy Q&A Background:
Click here for more information on The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which has been presented every year since 1990 to the nation's top scholar-athlete from the college gridiron. In 2019, Mazda became the sponsor of the Trophy, launching their Power of Potential Platform with ESPN. The trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.

Today's Q&A represents the eleventh in a series of Q&A sessions with former winners of the Campbell Trophy.