Texas Football: Greatest NFL Longhorns of All Time No. 3, Earl Campbell

When you think of all-time greats in the NFL to come from UT, the name Earl Campbell immediately comes to mind. Standing at 5-foot-11, Campbell was known as one of the most powerful running backs in NFL History. His running style consisted of aggressive and punishing running, as he was rarely ever brought down by the first guy, and almost always broke any tackle that came his way. Campbell’s style is a big reason as to why he made his way onto the list, as Cliff Harris, a safety for the Dallas Cowboys, once said that Campbell is “the hardest-hitting running back I ever played against.”

Campbell played for Texas between 1974-1977, where he earned the Heisman Memorial Trophy, as he became the first out of two recipients of the award for the University of Texas. Earl Campbell was selected first overall pick of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, and from there, the rest was history. He went on to rush for 9407 yards and 74 touchdowns throughout his NFL Career. He was named AP NFL Most Valuable Player in 1979, as a result of leading the league in rushing and touchdowns. Additionally, Campbell was named Offensive Player of the Year in each of his first 3 seasons. Finally, Earl Campbell cemented his legacy as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Rankings so far

Come back next week to check out who will come at No. 2.

No. 4 - Justin Tucker

No. 5 - Earl Thomas

What do you think?

Name your top five NFL Longhorns of all time in the comments below.