This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/lunchboxthegoat on 2023-08-06 22:48:44.
Counting down to the beginning of the season I’m going to attempt to post one player per day for the last 99 matching their jersey number to the days left until kick off. The players will be random. Use this thread to celebrate and Talk About Some DudesTM
Earl Campbell was raised in Tyler, Texas. He started playing football in the fifth grade and started playing linebacker in the sixth grade. He idolized Dick Butkus and modeled his game after him. He played both ways at John Tyler High School and led them to the 1973 Texas 4A State Championship (the highest level at the time). He was heavily recruited being named Mr. Football USA aka high school football player of the year. He ultimately chose Texas over Oklahoma. Sooner legend Barry Switzer claimed Campbell was the only player he ever saw that could have gone straight from high school to the NFL.
Campbell attended UT from 1974-1977. As a freshman he played in all 11 games and carried 162 times for 928 yards and six TDs.
His sophomore year of 1975 saw Campbell named first-team All-American by the AFCA after leading the SWC with 1118 rushing yards, 13 TDs and 78 points scored.
Campbell missed four games during his junior year but still piled up 653 yards and 3 TDs.
Earl’s senior season was by far his best. He led Texas to the National Championship game where they lost to Notre Dame. He rushed for 1744 yards and 19 TDs. He set his career high with 222 yards versus rival Texas A&M in the last game of the year.
He was a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy - which was originally awarded as the SWC MVP (it is now the Top QB award in college football). Earl also became the first ever Longhorn to win the Heisman Trophy.
He finished his time in Austin with 4443 rushing yards and 40 rushing TDs in a 40 game career. His #20 is retired by Texas.
He was drafted 1st overall in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He would spend the majority of his career in Houston.
His NFL career was one of the best ever. He was known to be a bruising power back which was revered and feared by his opponents. Legendary Oilers coach Bum Phillips was once asked if “The Tyler Rose” was in a class by himself, to which he responded "I dunno. But if he ain’t, it don’t take long to call the roll.’ In 8 professional seasons Earl Campbell achieved the highest heights of the game:
1979 MVP, 3x NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1979-1980), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year 1978, 3x First-team All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl. He lead the NFL in rushing 3x and lead the league in TDs twice. He is a member of the NFLs All-Decade team of the 1970s and a member of the 100th Anniversary Team. His #34 was retired by the Houston/Tennessee franchise.
He was also named to the Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Houston Sports Hall of Fame and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Campbell in the RRS, SI Cover of his demolition of the Aggies
Previously: 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, [57](https://www.reddit.c…
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