Top 10 NFL players that retired too soon

8. Earl Campbell

Typically running backs come in two categories. Speed demons who can cut outside and make big plays. Or your bruisers who will put the hurt on a linebacker if that means they get a couple extra yards. Rarely does that running back come with both sides of the coin. Earl Campbell was that rarity. At 5 foot 11 and 232 pounds, Campbell had the speed of Randy Moss but the size of John Kuhn.

His stocky frame and lightning speed let him accumulate over 9,407 rushing yards in his career. He played for the Houston Oilers and in his first season in the NFL he won both the Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year award. He led the NFL in rushing for three consecutive seasons and three consecutive playoff appearances. Unfortunately, after this early success, Campbell couldn’t lead the Oilers to another playoff appearance. In fact, the Oilers didn’t have another winning record for the rest of his career.

Campbell stated his intention to retire in 1986 due to his body being unable to take the physical nature of an NFL season. Some rumors arose whether or not Campbell decided to retire because he couldn’t stand the thought of sharing a backfield with George Rogers. Others claim that the coach of the Oilers in the early 80s, Bum Phillips overworked Campbell during his time in Houston causing his retirement to come quicker than it would have if Campbell was given any reasonable amount of carries.

Nonetheless, Campbell was inducted in the Hall of Fame years later, honoring the running back who could do it all in the backfield. His legacy is more or less left untarnished despite playing just 8 years in the NFL. But people will always remember number 34 bursting between the tackles and showing off his superior athleticism as one of the best backs to ever grace the gridiron.

Next: 7. Bo Jackson