Sometimes I pay for it, With the way I walk now, the things I did to my body wasn't supposed to be done. At 48 years old, it is saying, 'Hey, Earl, remember what you did to me?'.

In 1977 he became the first recipient of the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy which was awarded to the most outstanding player in the now-defunct Southwest Conference. A. The same year Campbell graced the cover of Dave Campbell's Texas Football an honor that eluded him during his playing days.

J. Then-Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer who unsuccessfully recruited Campbell said in his 1989 book that Campbell was the only player he ever saw who could have gone straight from high school to the NFL and immediately become a star.