College Field to be Named in Honor of Oilers Great

The playing surface at the University of Texas football stadium will be named in honor of Houston Oilers great Earl Campbell and one other Longhorns great, the school announced Monday.

The field at Royal-Memorial Stadium, heretofore known as Joe Jamail Field, will be renamed at the request of the Jamail family as part of a campus-wide series of actions aimed to promote inclusion and celebrate diversity. Now, it will bear the name of Campbell and Ricky Williams, the only Longhorns to win the Heisman Trophy.

“They are the best of us,” Dahr Jamail told the Austin American-Statesman. “They are the best of Texas. Who better to shine that light on? These guys have earned it.”

Campbell, the 1977 Heisman winner, was the first overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the then-Houston Oilers. He led the NFL in rushing each of his first three seasons, made five Pro Bowl appearances and was a three-time All-Pro while with the Oilers. He has four of the top eight single season rushing totals in franchise history, topped by 1,934 yards in 1980.

Campbell ranks second to Eddie George on the franchise’s career rushing list with 8,574 yards in 72 games over seven seasons.

These days Campbell works at the University of Texas as a special assistant to the football program.

“Earl and myself are honored to be part of the momentum of change sweeping our alma mater, the University of Texas, the nation, and the world,” Williams, the 1988 Heisman winner, said in a statement. “We recognize the naming of Campbell/Williams Field is a historic moment, and we urge our nation’s universities and communities to continue to reflect and review the history, symbolism, and identities that we place on monuments, public institutions, and sports organizations.”