There he sat. Grinning. At ease with his age and time. And the story of his recovery. Which is a champion tale told by a champion.
To his right, veteran sportscaster Ron Franklin, who studied the Heisman Trophy winner closely during his years with the Houston Oilers.
The occasion was a luncheon for Recovery Austin, the Austin-area nonprofit that offers treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Typically at these benefits, we hear uplifting stories of redemption. This one was different.
First, several speakers praised Edith Royal, coach Darrell Royal’s widow, whose charity event for the DKR Research Fund would fill the same hall the next night.
Edith Royal on the University of Texas coach who recruited Campbell: “I wish Darrell were alive to see you today. He would be so proud.”
Next we viewed thrilling tapes of the awesome running back’s triumphs. Then Campbell, with the help of his sons, recounted his road to recovery.
“I got really involved in pain pills and alcohol,” he says. “I shut down any family attempt at intervention.”
It took an ambush from his sons.
“He needs to get some help or he’s going to die,” a doctor told Christian Campbell about his father’s addiction.
At their home in Tyler three years ago, Christian had repeated that prediction in plain English during an intervention that included copious cursing. That’s when his brother thought they had a chance.
“I was nervous,” Tyler says with a huge grin. “We had the Texas Tornado up in the house.”
The hardest part for the smoked meat company founder was getting over the status as a football legend.
“I was so embarrassed because I’m Earl Campbell,” he says. “But it can happen to Earl Campbell, too. I got with the program.”
His sons told him: “You think you can help people now, but you’ll do so much more when you’re clean.”
At least once in the treatment center, Campbell called to tell his wife it was a big mistake, that he was stuck there with real drug addicts. She made sure he stuck it out.
Campbell went on tell fond anecdotes about Darrell Royal — who became his “partner” — Willie Nelson, Hollywood Henderson and other celebrated friends.
“Coach Royal could be for you or against you,” Campbell says. “I’m just happy I wasn’t Barry Switzer. They say you’ve done good when you’ve helped one person. I was that one person he really did help.”
We also learned that one of the greatest running backs of all time really wanted to serve as a linebacker and how he was assigned now-famous “34” Oilers jersey by accident. (He wanted “20” but didn’t want to take it from another player.)
“I thought I was existing all those years as Earl Campbell. But the last three years have been the best. It’s made all our lives better.”