Bentonville linebacker Joe Britton is trying to make up for lost time after missing his junior season because of a broken fibula.
He attended an Arkansas camp last summer and impressed the coaches. He did the same while being one of about 150 prospects at Saturday's Arkansas Prospect Camp.
“I’m just trying to get as much exposure as possible and try and show them I haven’t changed from who I was and I’ve developed more and the injury isn’t a problem anymore,” Britton said. “It’s stronger than ever. I’m not held back from the injury and I’m trying to prove that.”
Britton, 6-1, 213 pounds recorded more than 100 tackles while playing safety at Rogers Hertiage as a sophomore.
“My sophomore year I was playing at 205 and at one point I got up to like 225 and 230 and I dropped back down to 215,” he said. “I’m trying to stay there for the season.”
He worked under the eye of linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves during the camp.
“He said he liked what he saw,” Britton said. “He said it’s the junior film. I don’t have any junior film I don’t have any linebacker film so I’m trying to get out as much spring football and team camp film as much as possible.”
The lack of junior film has added extra pressure to perform well at camps and the upcoming season.
“It just shows how much more important this is for me and my future,” Britton said. “Luckily, I had some good sophomore film and good sophomore playing time. I have a good starting point, but it’s still a lot of pressure on this season.”
Britton is attending a Michigan satellite camp at Pittsburg State in Kansas on June 15. He also plans camps at Purdue, Indiana, Illinois State and Kansas State.
He tries to make the lack of playing time as a junior as a positive.
“I feel it on my back kind of pushing me forward,” he said. “I have to do this I have to do that. The injury gave me some time to fill out my upper body and catch up and as soon as I was able to run I was running. I have to keep the press on all of the time. I can’t relax ever.”