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), known as "the Tyler Rose", is a famous American former football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. Earl Campbell is remembered for his strong, powerful running style. Many people 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 football player. He was also named an All-American. In 1978, the Houston Oilers picked him first overall in the 1978 NFL draft. He quickly made a big impact, winning NFL Rookie of the Year. Campbell was also named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year for his first three seasons. During these years, he ran for almost 1,700 yards each season. In 1979, he won the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award for leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns.

With coach Bum Phillips, Campbell's success helped create the "Luv Ya Blue" era for the Oilers. This was a time when the team did very well, making the playoffs three years in a row. Campbell was the main player for Houston's offense in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. He played his last season and a half there before retiring. Campbell is in both the College Football Hall of Fame (1990) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1991). In 2019, he was chosen for the National Football League 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. This is where he got his nickname, "the Tyler Rose." He was one of 11 children. His father passed away when Earl was 11 years old. Campbell started playing football in fifth grade as a kicker. In sixth grade, he became a linebacker, inspired by player Dick Butkus.

Earl's mother, Ann Campbell, tried to stop him from playing football in high school. She said, "I dis-encouraged Earl. But he always loved football." In 1973, Campbell led John Tyler High School to win the Texas 4A State Championship. At that time, 4A was the biggest school division in the state. That season, Campbell was named Mr. Football USA, meaning he was the best high school player in the country.

Many colleges wanted Campbell to play for them. He chose between Houston, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Baylor. After meeting with coaches from Oklahoma and Texas, he decided to play for Texas. Barry Switzer, the Oklahoma coach who tried to recruit Campbell, later said that Campbell was the only player he ever saw who could have gone straight from high school to the NFL and become a star.

College Career at Texas

Campbell went to the University of Texas at Austin. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns from 1974 to 1977. As a freshman in 1974, he ran for 928 yards and scored six touchdowns. In 1975, he was chosen as a first-team All-America player. He led the Southwest Conference with 1,118 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Injuries kept him out of four games in his junior year. He ran for 653 yards and three touchdowns in seven games that season.

In 1977, as a senior, Campbell led the country in rushing. He had 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns. In one game against the Rice Owls, he scored four touchdowns. In his last regular-season game, Campbell ran for a career-high 222 yards against Texas A&M. 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 38–10 and claimed the national championship.

After the season, Campbell won the Heisman Trophy as the best college player. He was the first player from the University of Texas to win this award. He also won the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy. Sporting News and United Press International named him college football player of the year. He was a unanimous All-American, meaning every major selector chose him for their first team. He finished his college career with 4,443 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns in 40 games.

College Rushing Statistics

Professional Career

Houston Oilers Years

The Houston Oilers picked Earl Campbell first overall in the 1978 NFL draft. They signed him to a six-year, $1.4 million contract. Oilers coach Bum Phillips said, "This is a commitment to excellence. It takes a great running back to have a winning football team and this kid is a great running back." In his first year, Campbell led the league with 1,450 rushing yards, 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 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) by several groups. Campbell's arrival helped start the "Luv Ya Blue" era for the Oilers.

Campbell rushing the ball early in his career with the Oilers

In 1979, Campbell led the Oilers to a five-game winning streak. He finished the season with 1,697 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, leading the league in both. He set NFL records with 11 games where he ran for over 100 yards. He was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year again. He also won the Bert Bell Award.

People wondered how long Campbell could stay healthy because of his aggressive running style. He often ran over players instead of around them. Coach Bum Phillips liked Campbell's style. He said, "I've been looking for a back like Earl. I'm not going to change his style. Why would I?"

In 1979, the Oilers had an 11–5 record and made the playoffs. They won their first home playoff game since 1960. They then won another game but lost the conference championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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

After the 1980 season, Bum Phillips was fired. In 1981, the Oilers finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs. Campbell still had a good season with 1,376 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He was invited to his fourth Pro Bowl.

A players' strike in 1982 shortened the season to nine games. The Oilers finished with a 1–8 record. Campbell's rushing yards dropped to 538.

In 1983, Campbell's performance improved. He had 1,301 yards and 12 touchdowns and was invited to his fifth Pro Bowl. However, the Oilers had a very bad season, finishing 2–14. Campbell was unhappy and asked to be traded. He felt frustrated with the team's poor performance.

In 1984, after rushing for 278 yards in 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 for Campbell, even though they already had a great young running back named George Rogers. With Campbell and Rogers, the Saints had two Heisman Trophy winners in their backfield. In his first game with New Orleans, Campbell had a smaller role. He finished 1984 with 468 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Campbell's last game with over 100 yards was in 1985. He ran for 160 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished that year with 643 rushing yards.

Campbell retired during the 1986 preseason. He felt that the hits he took during his career had been too much for his body. He said, "I believe this is the best thing—not only for myself, but for the Saints." He ended his career with 9,407 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

Legacy and Honors

Earl Campbell is known as one of the greatest power running backs in NFL history. Other players respected him greatly. Lester Hayes of the Raiders said, "Earl Campbell was put on this earth to play football." Coach Bum Phillips joked, "If he ain't in a class by himself, it don't take long to call the roll."

Statue of Campbell at Royal-Memorial Stadium

Campbell is also considered one of the best running backs in Texas Longhorns and college football history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. His jersey number 20 was the first to be retired by the University of Texas in 1979. In 2000, fans voted Campbell onto Texas' All-Century team.

On July 27, 1991, Campbell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His jersey number 34 was retired by the Oilers in 1987. He was also one of the first members of 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. He was also named the number 3 "power back" of all time.

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

In 2019, Campbell was chosen for the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. On January 13, 2020, he was honored at the College Football Playoff National Championship. ESPN named him the 7th best college football player of all time.

In 1981, the Texas legislature declared him an official State Hero. This honor had only been given to Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett before. A 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 part of the Texas Cowboys service organization. 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 for the University of Houston. Tyler played running back for Pasadena City College and San Diego State. He had to stop playing football because of multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. Tyler now works with his father to raise awareness about MS.

In 1990, Campbell started Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc. This company sells Earl Campbell's Smoked Sausage and other food products. He also opened a restaurant in Austin in 1999, which closed in 2001. As of 2016, he still works as a special assistant for the University of Texas athletics football team.

Health Challenges

Earl Campbell has faced several health issues later in his life. By 2001, at age 46, he had severe arthritis in his hands. He also developed foot drop, which is nerve damage in his legs. This makes it hard for him to bend his back and knees. In 2009, he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal. Because of his walking difficulties, Campbell uses a cane or a walker. For longer distances, he uses a wheelchair. He has said that some of these problems came from playing football and his powerful running style.

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