Run Through A Defender With His Best Cards
There is perhaps no more bruising running back in league history than Earl Campbell. Drafted by Houston with the number one overall pick in 1978, Campbell didn’t just hit the ground running – he tore up the turf underneath him and ran over any defender that dared try to take him down solo. While he only played eight seasons in the league, the mark he left was undeniable – leading the league in rushing three times, touchdowns twice, and winning the MVP before injuries sustained from his brutal style added up and led him to retire.
Now, we look back at the few vintage (and rare) Topps Football cards featuring Campbell and his newly released Topps Motif Football and Topps Composite Football entries, which will put this unforgettable rusher in the hands of a new generation of football fans.
The Best Earl Campbell Cards
2023 Topps Composite Football Resurgence Grounded X-Fractor #RG-7 Earl Campbell
Player info
• 9,407 career rushing yards
• 1979 league mvp
Set info
• 425 base cards
• Resurgence grounded insert set features 25 iconic rushers with ten parallels (six numbered)
Card back
• Vitals, draft info, and a writeup about Campbell’s physical and punishing play style that would often take multiple defenders to bring him down
2023 Topps Composite Football Resurgence Signatures #RA-EC Earl Campbell
Player info
• 1979 league rushing TD leader: 19
• 1979 offensive player of the year
set info
• resurgence signatures inserts feature 91 players with 16 numbered parallels
card back
• Name, position, and a guarantee of the card’s authentic signature as witnessed by a topps representative
1979 Topps Football #3 Rushing Leaders Walter Payton and Earl Campbell
Player info
• 1970s all-decade team
• in 1979, set a then-record 11 straight 100-yard rushing games
set info
• Earl Campbell is featured on three cards in the 1979 topps football set – his only topps cards issued during his playing career
Player quote
• “I have been out of football for so long — You mean I still have records in football? Well, damn.” – Earl Campbell
2023 Topps Motif Football #40 Earl Campbell /10
Player info
• 1980 league rushing leader: 1,934 yards
• Five-time Pro bowl selection
set info
• Topps motif football has a 100-card base set with six numbered parallels (and two 1/1)
What they said
• “Earl Campbell, that’s a beast, man… that’s a legend in my eyes.” – Derrick Henry
1979 Topps Football #331 Earl Campbell
Player info
• League 100th-anniversary all-time team
• three-time first-team all-pro
set info
• 1979 topps football also featured a cream-colored back parallel set
What they said
• “You had to get him before he got going, because once he got going, he was like a truck … and fast. This guy was one of the toughest football players who ever played.” – Bill Belichick
1979 Topps Football #390 Earl Campbell RC
Player info
• 1978 rookie of the year
• hall of fame class of 1991 inductee
set info
• 528 card set
• subsets include conference leaders, championship games, all pros, and six cards featuring highlights from the 1978 season
What they said
• “I’ve never seen a running back like Earl. He had everything that you needed. He had the speed, the quickness, tremendous leg strength.” – Fred akers, Campbell’s head coach at Texas
