Tim Campbell, former all-state football player at John Tyler High School and an All-Southwest Conference standout at Texas, died on Sunday, friends and family members said.
Campbell, who starred from 1975-79 and was an All-Southwest Conference defensive end, died Sunday at age 68. Â
The younger brother of Longhorn legend Earl Campbell and twin brother of fellow Texas ex Steve, died Sunday of cancer in his hometown of Tyler.
A playmaking defensive end for Longhorns from 1975 to 1979, Tim Campbell ranks second in program history with 39 1/2 career sacks. His nine fumble recoveries are tied for second all-time. Campbell played on arguably the most fearsome defensive line program history in 1977, alongside Outland Trophy winner Brad Shearer and Steve McMichael.
His 14 sacks that season were a program record at the time until Kiki DeAyala notched 22 1/2 in 1982. Campbell is the only Texas player with two seasons of at least 13 sacks.
Texas defensive end Tim Campbell, center, produced 13 sacks in the 1976 season and then 14 sacks in 1977. He's the only player in Longhorns history to have two 13-plus sacks seasons.
As undersized edge rusher at 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, Tim Campbell was a First-Team All-Southwest Conference selection for the 1977 SWC champions, the same year his older brother won the Heisman Trophy. The Horns finished 11-0 in the regular season that year under first-year head coach Fred Akers before losing 38-10 to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
One of 11 Campbell children raised by Ann Campbell in the Swan community north of Tyler, Tim and his twin brother Steve were born July 4, 1956, and the family affectionally called their birthday “Twin-dependence Day.†All three starred at John Tyler High School (now Tyler High) and played together on the 15-0 team that beat Austin Reagan for the Class 4A state championship.
Older Texas fans remember the 1975 Bluebonnet Bowl when the freshman blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to spur a 38-21 comeback win over Colorado. He and Earl were the defensive and offensive MVP of the game, respectively, in the 1978 season opener when Tim caught Kenneth Sims’ deflection for an interception and touchdown in the end zone to highlight a 34-0 win over Rice.
He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon a week later against Wyoming and was out for the season. The NCAA granted him medical hardship, allowing him to play a fifth season.
Losing a sibling is never easy and while Earl has more football stories than anyone, it’s the memories of being in a new town with his little brothers that stand out above the rest. He talked about each of them getting $13 a month and pooling it together because $39 seemed like so much more.
“People don’t understand the reason that the university means so much to me," Earl Campbell said. "Football stuff aside, I was able to build memories with my brothers. Steve and Tim came to Austin the year after me, but my mom trusted (coaches Ken Dabs and Darrell Royal) so much that she sent three of her 11 children to Austin and the university changed our lives. Do your homework on the twins. They could play some ball. Both undersized, but they could get after it."
If you think about the first families of Texas football, the Campbells are leading the way with the Talberts, Blackwoods, Studdards, Cashes, Duncums, Zapalacs, McCoys and others to numerous to mention.
Following his playing career, Tim worked for Austin Parks and Recreation for 10 years before taking a similar position in Tyler for the next two decades. He also spent time in his hometown as a jailer. In 2012, he was hired as the public works officer in Jacksonville.
He leaves behind a son, Austin Lamar Campbell — a Houston attorney — and several step-children from previous marriages.
Funeral services are pending.
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