Running back at the University of Texas, Campbell won the 1977 Heisman Trophy as the nation's outstanding college football player. Strong and powerful at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, he also had a surprising turn of speed that sometimes allowed him to run right past would-be tacklers after getting through the line of scrimmage.

He joined the NFL's Houston Oilers as a first round draft selection in 1978 and was named the American Football Conference player of the year by United Press International and The Sporting News after leading the league in rushing with 1,450 yards on 302 carries, a 4.8 average. He scored 12 touchdowns.

In 1979, Campbell won the Bert Bell Trophy as the NFL's most valuable player. He gained 1,697 yards on 368 attempts, a 4.6 average, to lead the league again and he also led with 19 touchdowns.

Campbell set an NFL record by rushing for more than 200 yards in 4 different games in 1980, gaining 1,934 yards on 373 attempts, a 5.2 average, and scoring 13 rushing touchdowns to lead the league in all four categories.

The workload he'd been carrying began to affect him in 1982, when injuries limited him to just 538 yards on 157 carries. Campbell bounced back with 1,301 yards in 322 carries, a 4.0 average, in 1983, and he was traded to the New Orleans Saints after the season.

A knee injury limited him to only 468 yards in 1984. He announced his retirement shortly afterward in 1985. Since retiring, he has been the President of Earl Campbell Meat Products, one of the fastest growing meat companies in the U.S.