Tim Campbell, a standout pass rusher and All-Southwest Conference defensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns from 1975 to 1979, passed away on Sunday at the age of 68 after battling cancer in his hometown of Tyler, Texas.
Tim and his twin brother, Steve, joined Texas a year after their renowned older brother, Earl. The three of them had played together at John Tyler High School, where they won a state championship with an undefeated 15-0 record.
The three brothers, part of 11 children raised by Ann Campbell, were especially close since they all moved to Austin together and were recruited by the same assistant coach, Ken Dabbs. While playing under Darrell Royal for the Longhorns, they each made their mark, though Tim, standing at 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, played as an edge rusher in the shadow of his legendary brother Earl.
In 1977, Tim shared with The New York Times, “Earl and our mother told us it was up to us. She kept saying she wasn’t directing us to Texas, but it would be nice if all three brothers were at the same school. Earl had a different perspective. He said it had to be our choice because if we came to Texas and didn’t like it, we would blame him, not ourselves.”
Everything turned out well. Tim remains second in Texas history with 39.5 career sacks, and many of the brothers’ most memorable moments happened simultaneously.
Earl Campbell told the Austin-American Statesman, “I was able to create memories with my brothers. Steve and Tim arrived in Austin a year after me, but my mom had so much trust in [Dabbs and Royal] that she sent three of her 11 kids to Austin, and the university transformed our lives. Look into the twins—they could really play. Both were undersized, but they knew how to compete.”
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