NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history: number 5, RB Earl Campbell
Stats:
- 9,407 rushing yards
- 74 touchdowns
Awards:
- Former league MVP
- 1978 Offensive Rookie of the Year
It was all about the running back in the 1970s and 80s. Seldom were quarterbacks asked to drop back, survey the field and let it rip down the sidelines. Instead, more times than not, they were asked to play a more complementary role. Hand the ball off to your featured back and rely heavily on your defense.
Outside of a few select teams in today’s game such as the Tennessee Titans with running back Derrick Henry, most teams have gone the other direction. The burden of carrying a team to the promised land can cut the lifespan of a back short but in the case of Earl Campbell, his shoulders were broad enough to handle it.
Coming out of the University of Texas, the Houston Oilers gave Campbell the ball right from the beginning. He shrugged off tacklers and bulldozed ahead for 1,450 to go along with 13 touchdowns. Once the league took notice of how effective he was, all eyes were on him every Sunday but it didn’t matter. Campbell would go on to rush for at least 1,300 yards in five of his first six seasons. He was named a Pro Bowler in each of those aforementioned five seasons and an All-Pro First Teamer for three straight years.
Campbell’s 1979 season was a legendary one. He ran defenders through the dirt to the tune of 1,697 rushing yards to go along with 19 touchdowns and was rewarded with the MVP award for his efforts.
Campbell may have run roughshod over the league but the countless seasons of over 300 carries ultimately ended his prime prematurely at the age of 29. Still, he was one of the greatest players ever and currently sits in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.