How an All-Pro NFL Linebacker Recovers: Jack Campbell’s Red Light Therapy Routine

What does recovery actually look like when your job requires colliding with NFL athletes every Sunday?

In this special episode of The Energy Code, Dr. Mike Belkowski sits down with Detroit Lions All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell to break down the recovery strategies that help him stay healthy, energized, and performing at an elite level.

Jack shares how he first discovered red light therapy after entering the NFL — and why it eventually became the foundation of his recovery routine. He explains his personal protocol, including four red light sessions per week, and the changes he’s noticed in his energy, soreness, joints, sleep, and ability to recover between practices and games.

But his approach is surprisingly simple. Rather than chasing every new recovery trend, Jack focuses on sleep, hydration, nutrition, red and near-infrared light, mobility, and strategic cold exposure. He also reveals which popular recovery tools he thinks are overrated and why consistency matters more than trying everything at once.

The conversation then goes deeper into photobiomodulation, mitochondria, brain recovery, athletic longevity, nutrition, and mitochondrial compounds like methylene blue, C60, urolithin A, and shilajit.

For athletes — or anyone trying to perform at their highest level — Jack’s philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: master the fundamentals, identify what actually works for you, and stay consistent.

(Educational content only, not medical advice.)

Key Quotes

“I would say once I got into the NFL… I started using red light therapy super religiously… I’m just a strong believer in things that work for you… red light has helped me in tremendous ways.”

“I’ve played in the NFL for three years… at an off-ball linebacker position where you’re taking a lot of hits… and I have not missed a game.”

On athletic performance & recovery: “It starts with sleep, hydration, nutrition, red light — base.”“I try to keep it simple. I try to do things with intent. I don’t try to do a thousand different things because… it’s hard to pinpoint what is actually helping.”

“My recovery — the baseline, the base of it — is red light therapy and NIR... I would rather red light more than sauna.”