Thread: Earl Campbell remains a proud but battered football hero

[size=13pt]Campbell remains a proud but battered football hero[/size]

The former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas and Houston Oilers star stays upbeat, despite numerous injuries stemming from his bullish running style.

By Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News

Last update: July 04, 2007 – 9:46 PM

AUSTIN, TEXAS - While Tony Dorsett played with his kids and Archie Griffin and George Rogers played golf recently at Barton Creek Resort, Earl Campbell was struggling to walk....

Hard to believe it when tremendous athletes become older and are hampered by "life".
Makes you wonder . . . was the NFL worth it?

One of the best players ever to step on the field.


The Oilers ran him into the ground and kept on running him tell he broke.

"whackthepack" wrote:

One of the best players ever to step on the field.


The Oilers ran him into the ground and kept on running him tell he broke.

I loved watching him. One of my all time favorites.

But after seeing what condition he is in now, I will have a whole new perspective when a ball carrier steps out of bounds rather than taking that last hit to gain an extra yard or two. Except when close to the first down marker.

The price for NFL fame ,and sometimes fortune, has been very high for many
and for a long time.The NFL may want to put more of the pay into a pension that vests quickly.

He was fun to watch.
I remember him clocking Bevo (the Longhorn) on the sideline one year, poor steer didn't have a chance.
This dude was definetely a punishing runner.

I knew he was hurting, but didn't know it was that bad.
I played golf with the guy about 12 years ago at a charity event, he was hobbling a bit then, but not too bad.
Among celebrities at the tournament, he was the most entertaining of the bunch.

Sorry to hear he's in such bad shape.

"whackthepack" wrote:

One of the best players ever to step on the field.


The Oilers ran him into the ground and kept on running him tell he broke.

Watching Campbell was great.
You never seen him run out of bounds to avoid a hit.
He was the one initializing the hit.
It is too bad for his condition now.
I guess that puts a little light on why players such as Robert Smith, and Barry Sanders retired in their prime.
It was too bad that Campbell had to play in the years of the Steeler Dynasty.

It's really sad to see legends of the game slowly die off like this.
I'm sure he wouldn't take it back, but still...

That's just sad.

I always hear stories about Campbell from my dad. I've seen a few clips of him, but he must have been a blast to watch.