AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Jamaal Charles was summoned by a graybeard working out in the Texas Longhorns' weight room. The elder wanted to talk to him.
When you're a tailback at Texas and Earl Campbell wants a word
with you, you listen. After all, the Heisman Trophy on display at
the fieldhouse was earned by "The Tyler Rose" 30 years ago this
year. And it's Campbell's likeness that looms over Royal-Memorial
Stadium in the form of a 9-foot statue.
Campbell was a human battering ram as a college and NFL player
with a bruising running style fueled by tree-trunk legs that that
powered over defenders. And his body is paying the price for it
today.
Although Campbell denies his physical style of play is the
cause, his body is a shell of what it once was. At 52, he struggles
to walk and often uses a wheelchair or walker. His large hands
appear to be wracked with arthritis.
But the NFL Hall of Famer has taken Charles under his wing. They
see each other a couple of times a week. Campbell advises Charles
on topics ranging from what it takes to be the best player on the
field to the best way to hold the ball to avoid fumbles.
The No. 19 Longhorns are preparing to face 10th-ranked Red River
rival Oklahoma on Saturday in Dallas.