Carissa Van Campen

Carissa van Campen

van Campen's UMD Terrapins senior portrait
No. 10 – Arizona Outlaws
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(2025-08-10)August 10, 2025 (aged 35) The Hague, Netherlands
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Username:	mer
Career information
High school:	The International School of The Hague
College:	University of Maryland, College Park
ISFL Draft:	2050  / Round: 1 / Pick: 9
DSFL Draft:	2049  / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Arizona Outlaws (2056 (S41)-2061 (S46)) New Orleans Second Line (2052 (S37)-2055 (S40)) Norfolk Seawolves (2049 (S34)-2051 (S36))
Roster status:	Active

Carissa van Campen (born August 10, 2025) is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Outlaws of the International Simulation Football League (ISFL) and user mer's retired player.

Early years

Carissa van Campen was born via surrogate to fathers Claude van Campen and Vincent Ryden. Carissa spent her formative years playing sports, mainly soccer and softball, at the behest of Ryden, an American expat. Although Carissa took to the sports well, she spent more time on the bench than the field due to her physicality. After earning enough ejections to warrant a brief suspension from play, van Campen urged Ryden to withdraw her from sports. Following the 2038 International Softball Championship held in Amsterdam, Carissa was enrolled at The International School of The Hague and enouraged to focus more on her studies than sports.

The break from sports was brief. In 2040 Ryden was approached by fellow American expats who needed more players for their children's American Football league. With van Campen's blessing, Carissa joined and instantly fell in love with the sport. The learning curve was steep, but she compensated with hours of practice with her fathers and teammates. Carissa stayed in the league and, when the expats were able to convince American scouts to attend games, college offers began arriving in the mail. After much deliberation, Carissa committed to University of Maryland, College Park.

College career

Carissa van Campen played at University of Maryland, College Park from 2045 to 2048. During the 2045 season, she played in all but 5 games and held the number 10. In the 2046 season, van Campen's sophomore year, she played in all games and started in the final 7. She remained a starter for the 2047 and 2048 seasons, and over the course of her collegiate career had 108 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 fumbles.

At the start of van Campen's summer leading up to her sophomore year, she suffered a concussion and was unable to attend the first half of training camp. Despite the setback, she performed well and since the injury regularly advocates for concussion awareness and treatment.

College career statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2045 (S30)	University of Maryland, College Park	8	2	0	0/0	1	0	0	0	0	0/0/0
2046 (S31)	University of Maryland, College Park	13	5	0	0/0	2	1	0	0	0	0/0/0
2047 (S32)	University of Maryland, College Park	13	11	0	0/0	0	2	0	0	0	0/0/0
2048 (S33)	University of Maryland, College Park	13	15	2	0/0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0/0

Pre-Draft

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	4.52 s	4.21 s	7.02 s	31 in (0.79 m)	10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)

DSFL Career

2049

van Campen was selected 8th overall in the 2049 DSFL draft by the Norfolk Seawolves, and gladly packed her bags for Virginia. She set her bar low so that she would be pleased no matter how her rookie season went, and ended the season feeling quite pleased. The Seawolves had a rough season with a 3-11 record, but van Campen has stated that she's very excited to grow with the team and watch her successes and the team's successes align. She finished the season with 92 tackles, and tied for fifth most tackles in the DSFL for the season. Her other stats weren't anything to write home about, but there's a lot of room to grow. The losses don't weigh too heavily, and van Campen joined her teammates in shrugging off any negative feelings and instead looking forward to an excellent coming season. She'll spend the offseason training once more, but this time with a year in the professional development league under her belt.

2050

The season started off with a bang as the ISFL draft took center stage, and as a draftee van Campen put her best foot forward. She did her best to wow the scouts, and was drafted 9th overall to the New Orleans Secondline. She's incredibly excited to join their ranks, but as soon as the draft was over she buckled down and focused on the upcoming season with the Seawolves. It paid off, because she saw a rise in all her stats. She even caught some interceptions, and turned the tide of more than one game. The Seawolves had a great year, and an even greater post-season, where they secured the Utimini Championship. In the final game for the win, she managed 5 tackles and 1 fantastic sack. The pride for herself, for coming so far, and for her team for winning the greatest award of the season was overwhelming. Talking to press post-game, she said she couldn't have imagined a better game in her wildest dreams.

2051

Everyone knows that the season following a championship win is the hardest. Seawolves saw big losses on the roster with callups, and despite wanting to be among them, van Campen worked a deal with Secondline and Seawolves to stay down for a final season to keep the defensive line strong. She certainly showed her worth, with a personal best of 108 tackles, celebrating the 100th tackle with a big party at her favorite Norfolk bar, which has since seen a significant spike in patrons. Tackles for loss stayed steady from the previous season, and the her other stats saw a slight loss. Sadly there were no interceptions to be had, but commentators noted no change in van Campen's character on the field or off. When approached for comment following her final DSFL game, she told reporters that her sacks will go through the roof in the ISFL, and she's aiming to make a touchdown at least once in her career.

DSFL Career Statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2049 (S34)	Seawolves	14	92	6	1/0	2	0	4	0	0	0/0/0
2050 (S35)	Seawolves	14	96	11	0/0	6	3	11	0	0	0/0/0
2051 (S36)	Seawolves	14	108	11	2/0	5	0	4	0	0	0/0/0

ISFL Career

2052

Carissa had prepared to start from the bottom again, as a rookie in the ISFL. She knew her stats would probably be lower, and saw that confirmed in tackles, which were sadly way less than she was used to. The players up here are faster and have more experience; they know how to dart around her when she marks them. She did however, see a drastic rise in her sacks, which were twice her season best in the minors at 12. She celebrated each one like it was her first of the season, growing more emphatic as the season went on. She felt herself flagging at the end of the season, although 16 games doesn't seem more than 14, it sure felt like it when she was aching for post-season games. Secondline did their best in the post, but couldn't get very far. Carissa's fired up for the next season and hopes to see all her numbers go up.

2053

Carissa saw some improvements during this season, thanks to more familiarity with the staff, coaches, and her teammates. She managed many more tackles this season, surpassing 100 tackles for which she bought herself a little cake. She did not get as many sacks, but she was working with some technical changes and will trust the process and hope for more in the next season. She did get more tackles for a loss, owing to the increase in tackles overall. She's making measurable changes in games and hopes to increase that in coming seasons and become a defensive powerhouse for her team. Against the Otters, she managed a personal record of 10 tackles and her whole body hurt after and she almost missed the next game, but she pushed through and was a formidable force on the the field then as well. She made the Pro Bowl team, and is fast cementing a main defensive player of the league.

2054

This season saw some gains and other losses. Carissa's sack count dropped again this season, from her incredible rookie season count of 12. When it has come up during her media, she has just grinned and told reporters that she's not a young stallion anymore. She can't dish out the hits without heading to the sidelines for a trainer to check out her arm or her back or her head. It's embarrassing but it's the truth - she's starting to feel the years catch up with her. But while she's not going for the big hits, she's taking the opportunities as they arise and tied for 7th most tackles in the league. She's very proud of that number, and even more proud to be selected for the All-Pro team for the Pro Bowl. She's watched the last few from her couch, but it was so good being there in person and seeing all the people with her jersey. She's in her prime and she had another great season.

2055

For her fourth season in the ISFL, Carissa's finally met her rookie season numbers. She had a beast of a rookie season, all that confidence and no fear was like fuel in her veins, and the time spent honing her skills was worth it, but did take quite a while. One thing she's been working on is, of course, tackling. She's once again gotten over the 100 tackle hump to join a select few defensemen, while tallying a respectable amount of sacks and interceptions. She's reached a new career high of passes defended, and while she wished those were all interceptions, she'll accept them as incompletes. Her tackles for a loss have also reached a new career high, so she's succeeding in keeping her eye both on the ball and on the opposition with the ball. All in all, she had an excellent season and is hoping the next one comes with even more career bests.

2056

Carissa was traded in the offseason to Arizona. After making the move, she struggled slightly with finding her fit on the team and using her abilities to benefit the team where needed. She excelled offensively, marking her first safety and touchdown of her entire career (the parties at her house after those games were wild), but struggled a bit defensively. She saw the lowest amount of tackles of her professional career, as she had teammates that were more aggressive with the tackles and frankly better positioned to get them, so she tried to fill in the blanks. Any amount of sacks is nice, so she's pleased with 4. It's definitely not a season to write home about in terms of stats, but she's working out the kinks and has high hopes for next season, and wants to be more of a defensive powerhouse for the team. She's got big plans for offseason training and hope it shows during the next season.

2057

Feeling more a veteran coach now than a player, Carissa felt she had a bit of a rough season. She had some of the poorest stats that she's seen in a long time, and the soreness after every game was worse than it's ever been - she's kept bags of ice well stocked for post-game baths. Despite that, she's on the best team in the league, and helped them hoist the Ultimus after a heart pounding playoff season. She left it all on the field in the final game against Berlin, and recorded the most tackles on her team at 5, much higher than her 1 tackle per game average during the season. It was definitely the offensive that shone in the spotlight, and she doesn't think she sat down once during the game, cheering them on. The Ultimus parties were long and gratifying, but she doesn't want to end her career there. She's got more in the tank and looking for more wins.

2058

Carissa successfully shook off the blues that had plagued her in the past season, and managed to rack up almost 80 tackles. It's more than she's seen in the past 2 seasons and she feels young again. The Outlaws placed second in the division, racking up 9 wins that Carissa was happy to help with. She managed one very good interception that she's quite proud of - a handy grab where she felt like she was flying, opponent offense at her back. Each of those 79 tackles hurt a little more than she's used to, and she went through so many bags of ice post-game. But in the moment, they were as sweet as they've ever been. 3 sacks is more than last season, and with the Quarterbacks looking younger and moving faster every year, she's happy with any amount of sacks. She's hoping to still be useful next season, and will ramp up the offseason training.

2059

Carissa is so back! This past season she achieved her career high tackles with Arizona, she hasn’t been above the 70s since she joined their ranks, and it took her a while to find her footing with the team. She succeeded more in the offensive side of her position than on her defensive skills. She managed an interception and a touchdown. No sacks is a bit embarrassing, but another defensive touchdown to her name is so exciting. She’s still got many years ahead of her and she’s looking for a more productive season in her 5th with Arizona, her 9th season in the ISFL. She hurts more than ever after practices and games, but the reward is so worth it, and she’s able to adapt and learn new skills better than earlier in her career. She knows she’s not the best and all the ego is gone, she’s here to have a good time for as long as she can.

ISFL Career Statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2052 (S37)	Second Line	16	86	6	1/0	12	3	9	0	0	0/0/0
2053 (S38)	Second Line	16	106	9	1/1	9	1	9	0	0	0/0/0
2054 (S39)	Second Line	16	118	10	2/1	7	0	8	0	0	1/0/0
2055 (S40)	Second Line	16	109	14	2/0	13	2	13	0	0	0/0/0
2056 (S41)	Outlaws	16	73	2	1/1	4	2	11	1	1	0/0/0
2057 (S42)	Outlaws	16	70	0	2/0	1	0	4	0	0	0/0/0
2058 (S43)	Outlaws	16	79	0	1/0	3	1	6	0	0	0/0/0
2059 (S44)	Outlaws	16	90	2	1/0	0	1	6	0	1	0/0/0

Achievements and records

Awards

Won

• 2050 Ultimini
• 2053 ISFL All-Pro First Team
• 2057 Ultimus

Nominated

• 2049 DSFL Most Dedicated Member
• 2055 ISFL Defensive Player of the Year

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