This is a sad story

[Vern Gagne]

espn.com

 

Earl Campell is my all time favorite player. It really makes me tear up reading that article. I'm thinking he'll easily get the biggest response of anyone at tomorrow's game. Deservedly so as well.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America]

That's the kind of article you send to people who say football players make too much money.

[kkktookmybabyaway]

Football players can't make enough money, in my opinion.

 

Just got flashbacks of Mike Webster by reading that...

[Slayer]

That's the kind of article you send to people who say football players make too much money.

If you really want to hit it home, find this issue of SI from three years ago

 

'

Very good article on a slew of football players suffering today, including Campbell, Unitas, Joe Jacoby and some other guys

[lomasmoney]

A friend of mine went to high school with his sons and was good friend with them and played football and shit with them down in Austin (Westlake High) and he says the Earl Campbell is one of the nicest people he has ever met

[snuffbox]

It is sad.

 

Im 20 and have some knee-aches from 3 seasons of highschool wrestling. Only three. And I might wrestle again at the college level. I know if I do, I will be looking at an operation afterwards for sure.

 

Thats just one sport, using my own style, for a few seasons. These guys going years and years and also using the nonconservative styles...it definitly catches up.

 

So many boxers, football players, wrestlers, mma fighters, etc etc...it is sad, but its a choice, and like Campbell says in the article, noone ever seems to wish they could change anything in the past.

[2GOLD]

I'll never say NFL players get paid too much money. These guys are putting their bodies on the line every play.

 

MLB players yes, NFL players....no, they just recently started getting paid a reasonable rate.

[Guest MikeSC]

espn.com

 

Earl Campell is my all time favorite player. It really makes me tear up reading that article. I'm thinking he'll easily get the biggest response of anyone at tomorrow's game. Deservedly so as well.

I remember "Inside the NFL" doing a similar story several years ago. The physical condition a lot of the former players are in is almost tragic. Many can barely walk and live in constant pain.

 

I worry that Favre might face a similar future.

-=Mike

[Guest El Satanico]

I worry that Favre might face a similar future.

Steve McNair is a better example of a current player destined to be a crippled up 50 year old.

[OldSchoolWrestling]

I had the pleasure of growing up watching Earl on tv back in the early 80's and man was he one tough SOB. As a kid playing football at the park, whenever you wanted to bowl over a friend on the opposite team, you would say you were Earl Campbell and bowl that bastard over. He knew what was coming and he'd either move or get nailed.

 

I remember a game with Houston against my team, the Oakland Raiders. It was short and goal and it was him heading at Jack Tatum, who's nickname was the assassin for good reason, he hit hard and had even paralyzed a man. Think Ronnie Lott. Anyway, they went at each other full speed and Tatum nailed him with all he had. Earl took the hit, stumbled back a few steps, caught himself and continued on into the end zone. Picture two semi trucks going at each other full speed, hitting head on and after crashing, continuing on down the road. That's what happened on that play. Its a great testament that he went into the hall of famer first ballot, as he was often overshadowed in his time by other great running backs like Walter Payton and others.