A working vacation

He chatted about celebrity with Tom Cruise during a swank Super Bowl party at the Versace Mansion in Florida.

He gained perspective about being the Washington Redskins’ quarterback with Doug Williams while also visiting Miami in early February.

He talked about acting as the face of a franchise with Gilbert Arenas after walking the red carpet at Arenas’ birthday party/example of excess.

And he discussed shouldering pressure of a rebuilding team with Alex Ovechkin following his first hockey game.

Each time, Jason Campbell got around to the same question.

“I asked all of them what it took for them to become a success,” he said last week during an interview at Redskin Park.

What he found out is something he kind of knew already: Winning with the Redskins will be different than winning at Taylorsville (Miss.) High School and at Auburn University. “When you’re winning in this town, I think things can be pretty awesome,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s journey to experiencing awesome things with the Redskins began against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 of last season, but in reality it kicks into high gear today at Redskin Park when the team’s offseason program begins. It will lead into the organized team activities later this spring, minicamp in mid-June and training camp come late July.

It is during the next few months Campbell and his two primary coaches — play caller Al Saunders and quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor — will dissect his seven starts and work on every minute fundamental.

This — cramming with his tutors in the meeting room, throwing to his receivers on the field — is what really excites Campbell.

It’s why he was one of the few players at the facility last week, working in the weight room to strengthen his upper and lower body. It’s why he has popped into the offices of Saunders and Lazor throughout the winter, just to bounce around ideas. And it’s why he will sacrifice vacation time in July to work with his teammates under the searing sun.

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting started again — what I’ll do the next few months is how I’ll get better,” Campbell said.

And even though he begins work as a starter following a 2-5 debut to end last season and even though he has attended glitzy events and met high-profile people, the Redskins don’t expect Campbell to alter his work ethic.

“Knowing Jason and the caliber of person he is and the fact he’s had to deal with attention and success at other levels, he’ll continue to be the same,” Lazor said. “I think he’ll approach every week of preparation just as he did his first start, with a heightened amount of excitement and the desire to put everything he has into every game.”

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