Chris Campbell has worked out for or spoken with nearly every National Football League franchise, including the New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.

Otis Hudson has worked out with a number of potential high draft picks, including Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews, Southern California running back Stafon Johnson and UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price.

And as the NFL approaches its annual draft, both are dreaming big.

“I haven’t really been nervous, more so anxious,” said Campbell, the 6-foot-5, 320 lb. offensive tackle who anchored the left side of the line for the Eastern football team.

“This whole thing has been really fun. I’m very excited right now,” said Hudson, a behemoth at 6-foot-3, 331 lbs., who transferred from Minnesota and was a stalwart protecting his quarterback’s blind side throughout the 2009 season.

For Campbell and Hudson, the beginning of their hard work is over and the only thing left to do is wait for the phone to ring.

If that ring comes, it will be this weekend. The NFL Draft begins with the first round at 6:30 p.m. today. Rounds two and three will start at 5 p.m. Friday and rounds four through seven will start at 9 a.m. Saturday. All seven rounds will be aired on ESPN and take place in Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The nearly 700 lb. duo, who have been friends since playing Pop Warner football together in eighth grade, are both expected to at least sign as an undrafted free agent after the draft, as former Eastern defensive end Pierre Walters, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, did a year ago.

But the buzz surrounding the pair leads both to believe they have a chance to become the first Eastern football players to be drafted since 1999.

Campbell said he has heard he could be selected anywhere from the fourth to seventh rounds, while Hudson expects to go somewhere in the later rounds.

Most of the hype has surrounded Campbell. He has visited at least six NFL teams for an individual workout, and received phone calls from a number of other teams.

“It’s really coming on strong now,” said Campbell, who played in the Texas vs. The Nation All Star Game in February. “A lot of teams that didn’t work me out individually said they knew my story and didn’t come in because they wanted to keep me under the radar.”

Hudson signed with an agent after the season and graduated from Eastern in December. His agent then connected him with Gaines Performance, based out of California, which specializes in training athletes.

Travelle Gaines worked extensively with Hudson during his time there, and Gaines said he saw a lot of positives during his time there.

“He definitely got leaner, faster and stronger,” Gaines said. “He was a really, really hard worker and was very committed to getting better.

“I think he’ll do well (in the NFL). He’s a really fast learner and has a great work ethic.”

Hudson has had individual workouts with the Eagles, Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

While Hudson has spent most of his time since leaving Eastern either in California or at home in Barrington, he and Campbell still stay in close contact and talk almost daily about their experiences.

“We stay in contact and motivate each other,” Campbell said. “We try to get each other to stay on track and keep a level head. I just know we both thank God every day we’re in this position.”

Both Campbell and Hudson will be home with for the NFL Draft this weekend. Campbell will return home to Chicago to watch the draft with his friends and family, and Hudson is in Barrington now, where he will also watch the draft with his family.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944

or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu