Pro Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell isn’t a fan of the NFL these days.
Campbell, who led the NFL in rushing in each of his first three years with the Houston Oilers and was the league MVP in 1979, says that today’s NFL players are soft compared to the players in his day.
“It was real football when Jack Tatum (a Hall of Fame safety for the Oakland Raiders) and I hit each other on the 2-yard line and I backed into the end zone,” Campbell told USA Today.
The NFL didn’t have today’s safety rules in place during Campbell’s career, and the game took a toll on the 61-year-old’s body. Both of his knees have been replaced and he’s had four back surgeries. He needs a walker to get around.
From Campbell’s standpoint, it doesn’t take much for today’s players to sit out.
“I can’t play because I’ve got a hangnail on my toe. I can’t play because I didn’t get a pedicure this week. I don’t play because my head hurt.
“That wouldn’t have got the job done back in my day,” Campbell said. “When Jack Tatum hit me, I (saw) stars.”
The toenail excuses might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but with the league a lot more educated about concussions, players are going to sit out when their head hurts.
Campbell and the Oilers never got to a Super Bowl, losing the 1978 and 1979 AFC championship games at Pittsburgh. But Campbell was instrumental in Houston being awarded Super Bowl LI.
That doesn’t mean he’s all that excited about Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Falcons, because the game won’t look anything like it did when he played.
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