By Stan Cole
 
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Decision making, perseverance, toughness, timing, enthusiasm, leadership.
 
Those are but a few of the qualities that most coaches look for in their starting quarterback.
 
Those same terms could describe how Kamden Sixkiller, the FCS national offensive player of the week, made his way from Norman, Okla., to Buies Creek, N.C., via Lake Charles, La.
 
Now in his fourth collegiate season, and second at Campbell after transferring from McNeese State, Sixkiller is somewhat of an oddity in the transfer portal era of the FCS ranks – a returning starting quarterback.
 
In last week's season opener at East Tennessee State, Sixkiller threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for a career-high 95 yards and two more scores to lead the Camels to a 49-37 victory over the Bucs.  What's more, the Camels did not allow a sack or commit a turnover, trailed only once (21-14) and held the lead for the entire second half.
 
He earned CAA and national offensive player of the week recognition. 
 
His response?
 
"Next rep."
 
An early start
Kamden Sixkiller has always played quarterback – even in his preschool days. However, a childhood injury nearly halted a career before it ever started.  When Kamden was four years old, he walked behind his older brother Kalen, who inadvertently hit him in the head while swinging a golf club.
 
Doctors needed to insert a metal plate and four screws in Kamden's head (they are still there) to repair his fractured skull and did not believe the preschooler would ever be able to compete in contact sports.
 
His injuries healed and Kamden played flag football until fifth grade when he began competing in tackle football at the recreational level.
 
Kamden credits his father, Darin, and older brother for helping develop his competitive drive.
 
"My brother, my dad and I didn't like losing and we made sure we beat each other no matter what it was," Kamden recalled.  "My mom (Amy) hated it. She wouldn't even play card games with us after a point."
 
The younger Sixkiller followed his older brother to his practices growing up and when the team needed an extra player to fill out the side, he joined in.
 
"I'd always hop in," Kamden said.  "I was the worst one out there, but I was getting better because I was competing with guys who were so much older and so much better."
 
Sixkiller was the starting quarterback for his middle school team in the seventh and eighth grade – the last time until this year that he would be his team's QB1 in back-to-back seasons.
 
Life in Norman
Like most people who grew up in Norman, Kamden was a Sooners fan.  His grandfather had four season tickets and Kamden was able to attend several games a year.  From the early days, he wanted to be the next Sam Bradford or Baker Mayfield.  He even knows all the words to the OU fight song "Boomer Sooner."
 
Even more so, Kamden dreamed of being the starting quarterback at Norman North High School.
 
As a high school freshman, he quickly moved up the depth chart, a pattern that reoccurred in his two years at McNeese State.  He played on the JV team as a sophomore and junior because the starting quarterbacks were more experienced, including Gavin Frakes, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound signal caller who is now playing at Northwestern after collegiate stops at New Mexico State and Virginia.
 
"Junior year was the first time I lost a quarterback battle that I had the chance to compete for," said Sixkiller.  "(Frakes) didn't start till his senior year either. He was hungry as well. He was bigger, more physical, and a much more developed guy than I am even now.  Each week was hard because I thought I was better than the quarterback across the field on the other sideline, but had to learn, grow and that's a lesson I learned."
 
After seeing limited time in mop up duty through the regular season, Sixkiller had the opportunity to play in the first round of the state playoffs.  After Frakes had to leave the game in the first quarter with an injury, Sixkiller entered to face a Jenks High School team that traditionally boasted one of the best defenses in the state.
 
Initially, things didn't go well, but Sixkiller played well after halftime in the loss.  He used that setback as motivation to prepare for the next year.
 
During his senior season, Sixkiller led the T-Wolves to a win over the same team that had eliminated Norman North from the playoffs a year earlier, on Jenks' Homecoming, no less.  In fact, that loss was the first Jenks had suffered on Homecoming in 59 years.
 
"Their coach came up to me after the game and said, 'you're the reason why (North) won this game,'" recalled Sixkiller.  "I said, 'Coach you're the reason why I put in so much work in the offseason because of the wake up you gave me last year.'"
 
In the final regular season game, Sixkiller suffered a separated shoulder on his (right) throwing side, ending his season and the team's goal of a deep playoff run.  The injury required surgery and limited the extra exposure he might have received from college scouts in the playoffs.
 
However, Oklahoma coaches voted Kamden to the all-state first team, which attracted the attention of Division I scouts.  McNeese State in the Southland Conference offered a scholarship as did Robert Morris of the Northeast Conference and Lafayette of the Patriot League.
 
Timing
Still recovering from injury when he joined the McNeese State team in June for summer workouts, Sixkiller could not throw the ball.  He entered fall camp fifth on the depth chart, but after recovering, earned two starting assignments – the first against Houston Christian, a Southland rival coached by Braxton Harris.
 
In a 35-24 loss, Sixkiller completed 19-of-34 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown that day but made an impression on the person he would call Coach two seasons later.
 
"I got to watch Kamden as an 18-year-old true freshman at McNeese," said Harris, who left Houston Christian after one season as head coach to take the top job at Campbell.  "You saw the confidence; you saw the poise that he had in that ballgame."
 
Harris also saw toughness in his future QB1.  In the first half, HCU linebacker Jalyx Hunt (who went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and sack Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl) tackled Sixkiller and the freshman suffered another shoulder separation, this time on his left (non-throwing) side.  Instead of watching the second half from the sidelines, he returned for several drives in the third and fourth quarters.
 
One week later, Sixkiller was back in the starting lineup at Beaumont, Texas for the season finale at archrival Lamar.  After completing 16-of-29 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, he drove home to Norman on Sunday and on Monday, again went under the knife.
 
Sixkiller played in 10 games and made five starts as a sophomore at McNeese sharing time with Clifton McDowell, who had played for Montana in the FCS national championship game.  He completed 85 of 160 passes for 928 yards for the Cowboys, who finished the year 6-6, 3-4 in the Southland.
 
One of Kamden's best memories of his time at McNeese came on Sept. 7, 2024, when he played in front of more than 92,000 fans at Texas A&M.  Late in a 52-10 loss to the Aggies, Sixkiller connected with his freshman year roommate Jalen Wright on a 10-yard scoring pass that capped a 19-play, 75-yard drive.
 
With McDowell sitting out because of an injury, Sixkiller got the nod and trotted out on to Kyle Field with the first team.
 
"It was a moment I'd been dreaming of since I was little, to play in an SEC stadium," said Kamden.  "In a game like that you don't have any expectations, but it's just another game of football at the end of the day.  They got after me pretty good, I was pretty beat up, but I had so much fun."
 
Sixkiller especially remembers the moment when Wright caught his pass for McNeese's lone touchdown.
 
"All game there was that constant noise, it was so loud, but as soon as (Wright) had it in his hands, the whole stadium went silent," Kamden remembered.  "That's the first time all game I could hear my thoughts.  Everything felt so calm."
 
A decision to make
Even though McNeese improved five games in the win column from 2023 to 2024, the university administration decided to make a coaching change.  With an uncertain future regarding the new staff and offensive system, Sixkiller's head coach (Gary Goff) and offensive coordinator (Adam Neugebauer) advised him to enter the transfer portal.
 
"There were three things I was looking for when I hit the portal – an opportunity, a coaching staff that told me the truth, and a place where I could develop," said Kamden.  "Not only did Campbell check all those boxes, the coaches also showed me how they were going to do it."
 
He considered offers from Eastern Kentucky, Fordham, Gardner-Webb and Lafayette, before narrowing his decision to Fordham and Campbell.
 
Throughout the process, connections became evident.  Not only did Harris remember Sixkiller from the game in 2023, but Campbell offensive coordinator Matt Kubik played college football at Louisiana Tech and had previous career stops in Louisiana and the Southland Conference.
 
"The first night we got on the phone, we were talking about restaurants in Lake Charles and things like that," Kubik recalled of his early conversations with Sixkiller.  "In the recruiting process, if you can find some common ground, that's a good start."
 
Harris and Kubik liked what they saw in Sixkiller in their search to find a replacement for the program's record holder in nearly every passing category, Hajj-Malik Williams, who had graduated a year earlier.
 
"For a guy like Kam, who didn't have a whole lot of tape, you've got to project," said Kubik.  "For instance, he played really well at Kyle Field. At the quarterback position, this guy's not a flincher. That's what I'm looking for to start with.  At our level still, it's about development.  Here's a starting quarterback that's looking for a fresh start somewhere and still has a ton of ceiling left.  That's what made it attractive."
 
Not only did the outgoing staff at McNeese State speak favorably of Harris and Kubik, but the new head coach of the Cowboys, Matt Viator, praised the Campbell coaches.
 
"Coach Viator told me Coach Kubik was a great guy, a great OC, had worked with him before and that I was going to like it out here," said Sixkiller. "The (Campbell) staff had a great reputation, not just (in North Carolina), but all over."
 
Sixkiller especially was impressed with the direct approach Harris and Kubik took in the recruiting process.
 
"It was a great situation," Kamden said.  "I was honest with the (Campbell) coaches and they were honest with me. That's the biggest thing I appreciated.  They've told me the truth since the first phone call. They don't sugar coat things, just tell me the facts.  I really appreciate that and the bond has just grown closer."
 
A new start
After enrolling in January 2025, Sixkiller earned the starting job during spring drills.  Mike Chandler II, who made several starts at quarterback the previous season, willingly accepted the transition to a "wildcat" role, where he lined up in the backfield, wideout, or at QB, to take advantage of his play-making ability.
 
Sixkiller started all 11 games he played in 2025 and statistically delivered one of the best seasons in Campbell record books.  He completed 224 passes (second-most in a season behind Williams' 235 in 2023) and amassed the third-most passing yards (2,154) by a Camel quarterback in the program's Division I history.  He tossed 12 touchdown passes with only five interceptions.
 
He completed 34 passes vs. Furman in his third game in a Campbell uniform to tie the school record set by Dakota Wolf 11 years earlier.  In a 50-48 double overtime win over Bryant, Kamden had five TD passes, tied for the second-most in program history, and threw for the eighth-most yards (334) in a single game.
 
However, from a won-lost record perspective, the Camels could not have suffered worse luck.
 
The 2025 squad lost seven games – including their last four – after holding a lead in the fourth quarter and finished 2-6 in games decided by seven points, or less, to finish with a 2-10 overall mark, 2-6 in the Coastal Athletic Association.
 
"Last year it wasn't Xs and Os that lost us games; we were there every time; we just couldn't finish," said Sixkiller.  "Part of the problem was that there were too many people expecting us not to be able to finish, not having the confidence in each other to (think) that not only am I going to make the play, but the guy beside me is going to make the play, so I don't have to do more than I need to."
 
Confident leadership
With the NCAA adopting a single transfer portal window following the 2025 season, the Camels were able to assemble a roster that has been together since January.  Unlike the previous year, when CU lost an all-league performer on both sides of the ball to FBS programs following spring practice, this year's team had nearly eight months to gel before its season opener at ETSU.
 
Campbell returned four of five starters along the offensive line, and added an FBS transfer at left tackle along with several talented freshmen. 
 
"Those guys are best friends," said Sixkiller of the unit that is charged with protecting him.  "They fight for each other, support each other, and expect a lot out of each other.  I've seen that position group grow and continue to get better."
 
The receiving corps is deep and had not only spring practice, but all summer to work with its quarterback.
 
"With the new portal, I've had more continuity with these guys than I've had since playing with my friends in high school," said Kamden.  "We've been able to put that full offseason together.  In the summer on Saturday's throwing the ball around, working on things, talking things through, getting on the same page mentally, with timing routes and seeing what they're seeing and showing them what I'm seeing."
 
At ETSU, Sixkiller divided his 29 completions among eight different targets.  Jon Gullette led the team with seven catches, while Evan Austin, Aaryn Tate, Spencer Jones and Jyron Waiters had four apiece.
 
"We've got a lot of weapons and a lot of guys that want the ball, said Sixkiller.  "I want them to be hungry. I want them to want to make plays."
 
Quarterback is the only position in the game that has a won-lost record assigned to the position.  With that recognition comes responsibility, and Harris is impressed with his veteran signal caller.
 
"It's been fun to see Kam take over as QB1 and really run with that since January," said Harris.  "He carries himself differently. He knows it's on him. That's why he came to Campbell. He wanted the opportunity to be the guy. He's been the guy in the locker room, in the weight room, on the football field. It's been a lot of fun to see his growth and development and to see him come into his own and grow and mature as a leader."
 
Harris points out that it's not just the visible attributes Sixkiller displays on game day, but rather the things he does out of the public eye that make him a true leader.
 
"He's a heckuva football player, everybody can see that on film," said Harris, the son of a coach and former college quarterback as well.  "What you don't see is all the intangibles in how he builds relationships with all the guys on our team, motivates and holds guys accountable.  That's what you've got to have from your quarterback."
 
Kubik, who was a starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech, also values qualities that don't show up on a stats sheet.
 
"The off the field stuff is just as important as the on the field stuff, especially at that position," said Kubik.  "Kamden's such a likeable guy, gets along with everybody, keeps things light, and guys appreciate that.  He's shown some toughness last year being the starter and people appreciate that.  His fellow players have seen him get better with accuracy, throwing the deep ball.  He's got so much street cred now.  He's been a starter and stuck around.  In this transfer portal era to have a quarterback coming back is a huge deal."
 
The name
College football fans of a certain age easily recognize the name "Sixkiller."  Kamden is a distant relative of Sonny Sixkiller, who starred at quarterback for the University of Washington in the early 1970s, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was cast along with Burt Reynolds in the motion picture "The Longest Yard."
 
Sonny was born in 1951 in Tahlequah, the Cherokee nation capital in Oklahoma, before moving with his family to Ashland, Ore., a year later.  He was a three-year starter for the Washington Huskies and played briefly in the old World Football League.
 
Like Sonny, Kamden wears jersey number six, even though he has never met his famous namesake.
 
"He's my great grandpa's cousin's son," said Kamden of Sonny.  "The Sixkiller family name in Oklahoma is pretty big and a good majority live out on the west coast."
 
Kamden, who is about one-eighth Native American, appreciates his background, and recognizes that Sonny played in a different time when he was playing in the old PAC-8 a half century ago.
 
"He was recognized for the name but didn't want the narrative to be that he was just a Native American quarterback; he wanted to be recognized as a good quarterback, period," said Kamden who wrote a research paper on his famous relative.
 
Kamden's grandfather grew up near Tahlequah, but he and Kalen are only about 3/32nd Native American.
 
"When I was little, my brother and I got our Cherokee nation identity cards," Kamden recalled.  "We'd go on Native American field trips, visit OU's campus and the indigenous programs they have there.  Right now, I don't have a whole lot culturally connected to it, but I think that's something I'll appreciate later in life."
 
A brand-new season
Not only did the Camels win their season opener for the first time since 2022 (at The Citadel), but league and national recognition followed for the signal caller.
 
As far as individual numbers and awards are concerned, Sixkiller places them well below team accomplishments.
 
"When the team wins, everyone wins," said Sixkiller.  "Your role is elevated through the success of everyone around you."
 
He also sees the growth of a program now in its third season under Harris' guidance.
 
"You can see it every semester since I've been here," he said.  "We take the next step forward, a new leap. Not only has Coach Harris gotten the guys he wants here, but he's taught them the mindset we need to have to be successful in this program.  Everyone here has the same mindset and the same goals.  We talk every day about culture, but I don't think it's something to talk about, it's something people can see every day at practice, and when they come to the game on Saturdays."
 
The setting
Sixkiller has quickly come to love Buies Creek and the Campbell community.  While he is halfway across the country from his parents, who only will get to travel to about half of this year's games, he has embraced the place.
 
A sport management major, Sixkiller began a 200-hour internship in the athletics department during summer school.  His wide-ranging internship provides exposure to nearly every phase of the operation, including a few days when he made phone calls to season ticket holders and prospective buyers.
 
Beyond his playing days, Kamden might like to get into athletics administration, but his immediate goals are to graduate in December, begin his master's studies in business, and enjoy his final two collegiate seasons.
 
"Honestly, I'm not a big planner, which is kind of weird because quarterbacks are big strategic guys," said Sixkiller.  "I take it day by day.  I don't know what this season is going to hold. I don't know where I'm going to be in five years. I've got big plans and goals for this season and the one after. I want to play football for as long as I can, whether it's the CFL, NFL, or UFL, but right now I'm focused on this year."
 
He feels the bond of Campbell football alumni as well as the community.
 
"You can be a trailblazer here in a sense," said Sixkiller of the football program, which played its first NCAA Division I season in 2008.  "I told Hajj-Malik Williams when he was here for the spring game, "hey, you have all the (passing) records here, I've looked them up. I appreciate you setting those, but I have to go break them this year.'  It's cool that he's not like some guy who played in the 1960s that I was never going to meet.  They guys who played here are still invested, still around."
 
Characteristically, Sixkiller deflects praise and credits his coaches, teammates and those who have helped him reach his goals.
 
"Walter Boyd was my sixth grade coach and was the first coach that told me I was going to play Division I football – in sixth grade," said Sixkiller of the former University of Tulsa offensive lineman.  "He trained me for free, never charged me for a thing.  Every time I go back (home) and he's training kids, I go out there and help him.  He is a student of the game, and when he saw a guy that could possibly play at the next level, he poured everything into me."
 
Sixkiller recognizes the role his coach at Norman North played in his journey.
 
"My high school coach, Rocky Moore, knows me better than everyone else and reads my emotions better than anyone else," said Kamden. "I can't fake anything with him, and he produces D1 quarterbacks."
 
But Kamden points to the influence of his family first and foremost.
 
"My dad, by far, is my biggest mentor and supporter," said Sixkiller "He hates that he can't be here watching practice and stop by. My mom's my biggest fan; my dad's my biggest coach."
 
The outlook
Saturday's home opener vs. nationally-ranked Western Carolina is followed by a trip to SEC power Florida before CAA play begins on Sept. 19 at home against North Carolina A&T.
 
"At this point, we're sick of talking about last year," said Sixkiller, whose teams was picked eighth in the preseason poll of CAA head coaches.  "We're tired of hearing how close we were.  If anyone thinks we are a 2-10 team, they're in for a rude awakening.  We're all unique, but we are all here for the same purpose and the same goal, and that's to win a conference championship for Campbell."
 
His advice to those just starting their collegiate careers?
 
"As a freshman, you have more confidence coming off the success of your senior year than a lot of the older guys," he said.  "Use every opportunity as a lesson.  It is a business and the decisions you make are going to be weighed differently in college. Enjoy it. It goes by fast.  Realizing that I'm a fourth year now and one of the older guys on the team is crazy.  It feels like I just got into college a couple of months ago."
 
His love for the game is evident.
 
"All the hard things you go through, every Saturday is worth it," said Sixkiller.  "The experience you get to play Division I football is not an opportunity everyone gets.  It's a blessing. Take full advantage of it."
 
Next rep.