Earl Campbell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Earl Campbell

Campbell signing autographs in 2009
No. 34, 35
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1955-03-29) March 29, 1955 (age 70) Tyler, Texas, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	232 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:	John Tyler (Tyler, Texas)
College:	Texas (1974–1977)
NFL Draft:	1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Houston Oilers (1978) New Orleans Saints (1984)
Career highlights and awards
NFL Most Valuable Player (1979) 3× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1978–1980) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1978) 3× First-team All-Pro (1978–1980) 5× Pro Bowl (1978–1981, 1983) Bert Bell Award (1979) 3× NFL rushing yards leader (1978–1980) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1979, 1980) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team PFWA All-Rookie Team (1978) Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor Tennessee Titans No. 34 retired Heisman Trophy (1977) Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy (1977) SN Player of the Year (1977) Chic Harley Award (1977) Unanimous All-American (1977) First-team All-American (1975) 3× First-team All-SWC (1974, 1975, 1977) Texas Longhorns No. 20 retired Texas Sports Hall of Fame Houston Sports Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 9,407 Rushing average: 4.3 Rushing touchdowns: 74 Receptions: 121 Receiving yards: 806
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955) is a famous American former football player. He was a running back known for his powerful running style. People often called him "the Tyler Rose" because he was born in Tyler, Texas. He played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the Houston Oilers. Many consider him one of the best power running backs in NFL history.

Campbell played college football for the Texas Longhorns. In his final year, he won the Heisman Trophy, which is given to the best college player. He was also named an All-American. The Houston Oilers picked him first overall in the 1978 NFL draft. He quickly became a star, earning NFL Rookie of the Year honors. He was also named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year for his first three seasons. In 1979, he won the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award after leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns.

With coach Bum Phillips, Campbell helped the Oilers have a very successful period called the "Luv Ya Blue" era. The Oilers made it to the playoffs three times in a row. Campbell was the main player for Houston's offense. He later played for the New Orleans Saints before retiring. He is in both the College Football Hall of Fame (1990) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1991). In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. His jersey numbers are retired by the University of Texas and the Tennessee Titans.

Early Life and High School Football

Earl Christian Campbell was born on March 29, 1955, in Tyler, Texas. He was one of 11 children. His father passed away when Earl was 11 years old. Earl started playing football in fifth grade as a kicker. In sixth grade, he switched to linebacker after watching Dick Butkus, a famous player.

Earl's mother tried to convince him not to play football in high school, but he loved the sport. In 1973, Campbell led his John Tyler High School team to win the Texas 4A State Championship. That year, he was named Mr. Football USA, which means he was the best high school player in the country.

Many colleges wanted Campbell to play for them. He chose the Texas Longhorns. Even a coach who tried to recruit him, Barry Switzer, said Campbell was so good he could have gone straight from high school to the NFL.

College Football Career

Campbell played college football for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin from 1974 to 1977.

As a freshman in 1974, he played in all 11 games. He ran for 928 yards and scored six touchdowns.

In 1975, Campbell was chosen as a first-team All-American at fullback. He led the Southwest Conference with 1,118 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Injuries kept him out of four games in his junior year (1976). He still rushed for 653 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.

In 1977, his senior year, Campbell led the entire nation in rushing. He gained 1,744 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. In one game against the Rice Owls, he scored four touchdowns. In his last regular-season game, he ran for a career-high 222 yards. The Longhorns finished the regular season without losing a game.

After winning the Southwest Conference championship, Texas played against Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Notre Dame, led by quarterback Joe Montana, won the game. Texas finished the season ranked fourth in the country.

After the season, Campbell won the Heisman Memorial Trophy. He was the first player from the University of Texas to win this award. He also won the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy and was named college football player of the year by Sporting News and United Press International. He was a unanimous All-American, meaning every major selector chose him for their first team.

Campbell finished his college career with 4,443 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns in 40 games.

College Rushing Statistics

Professional Football Career

Houston Oilers Years

Earl Campbell was the very first player chosen in the 1978 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. The Oilers traded several draft picks to get him. Their coach, Bum Phillips, said Campbell was a "great running back" and a "commitment to excellence."

In his first year (1978), Campbell led the league with 1,450 rushing yards, which was a record for a rookie. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He also won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) by some groups. Campbell's arrival started the exciting "Luv Ya Blue" era for the Oilers.

Campbell rushing the ball early in his career with the Oilers

In 1979, Campbell had an amazing season. He rushed for 1,697 yards and scored 19 touchdowns, leading the league in both. He set NFL records with 11 games where he rushed for over 100 yards. He was named NFL MVP by several organizations and won the Bert Bell Award.

Campbell's running style was very aggressive. He often ran over defenders instead of trying to avoid them. Coach Bum Phillips liked this style, saying he wouldn't change it.

In 1979, the Oilers made the playoffs. They won their first two playoff games but lost the conference championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1980, Campbell had his best rushing season with 1,934 yards in 15 games. He was just 70 yards short of breaking O. J. Simpson's single-season rushing record. He again led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. He had four games with over 200 rushing yards, a record that still stands. Campbell also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass, his only career completion. The Oilers made the playoffs again but lost in the Wild Card Round. For the third year in a row, Campbell was named the Offensive Player of the Year.

After the 1980 season, Coach Bum Phillips was fired. In 1981, the Oilers finished with a losing record and missed the playoffs. Campbell still had a good season with 1,376 rushing yards.

The 1982 season was shortened by a players' strike. Campbell's production dropped, and the Oilers had a very bad record. In 1983, Campbell's performance improved with 1,301 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, the Oilers had one of the worst records in the league. Campbell became unhappy and asked to be traded.

In 1984, after six games, Campbell was traded to the New Orleans Saints. This reunited him with his former coach, Bum Phillips.

New Orleans Saints and Retirement

The Saints traded a first-round draft pick to get Campbell. The Saints already had a talented young running back, George Rogers. With Campbell and Rogers, the Saints had two Heisman Trophy winners in their backfield. Campbell's role in the offense was smaller with the Saints. He rushed for 468 yards and four touchdowns in 1984.

In 1985, Campbell had his last 100-yard rushing game, gaining 160 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished that year with 643 rushing yards.

Campbell decided to retire before the 1986 season. He felt that the physical demands of his career had taken too much of a toll on his body. He finished his career with 9,407 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns.

Legacy and Honors

Earl Campbell is known as one of the greatest power running backs in NFL history. Other players and coaches respected his tough running style. One player said, "Every time you hit him you lower your own IQ."

Campbell is also considered one of the best running backs in Texas Longhorns history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. His number 20 jersey was retired by the University of Texas in 1979, making him the first Longhorns player to receive this honor.

On July 27, 1991, Campbell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number 34 jersey was retired by the Oilers in 1987. He was also one of the first members inducted into the Titans Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Campbell number 33 on their list of the 100 greatest football players. In 2010, NFL Network ranked him the 55th greatest player of all time.

In 2006, a 9-foot bronze statue of Campbell was unveiled at Royal-Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas. He was also featured on the cover of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine that year.

In 2019, Campbell was chosen as one of twelve running backs for the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 2020, he was honored during the College Football Playoff National Championship for the 150th anniversary of college football. ESPN named him the 7th best college football player of all time.

In 1981, the Texas legislature declared Campbell an official State Hero. A section of road in Tyler, Texas, was named the Earl Campbell Parkway in 2012. In 2013, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was created in his honor. This award goes to the best offensive player in NCAA Division I with ties to Texas.

Personal Life

While at the University of Texas, Campbell was a member of the Texas Cowboys, an honorary service group.

In 1980, Campbell married his high school sweetheart, Reuna Smith. They have two sons, Christian and Tyler. Christian played high school football and ran track. Tyler played running back in college but had to stop due to multiple sclerosis (MS). He now works with his father to raise awareness about MS.

In 1990, Campbell started Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc., which sells smoked sausage and other food products. He also opened a restaurant in Austin for a few years.

As of 2016, he still helps with University of Texas athletics as a special assistant to the football team.

Health Challenges

Earl Campbell has faced various physical challenges as he has gotten older. He has experienced arthritis in his hands and nerve damage in his legs, which makes it hard for him to walk easily. He uses a cane or walker, and sometimes a wheelchair for longer distances. He has said that some of these issues came from playing football the way he did.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Postseason

See Also

• List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
• List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders
• List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
• List of first overall National Football League draft picks
• List of Tennessee Titans first-round draft picks