Houstonist's Mt. Rushmore of Sports: Earl Campbell

Well, today is the first day of finding out which four Houston icons makes Houstonist's Mt. Rushmore of Sports and former Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell gets the first spot.

Campbell, who was a Heisman Trophy winning running back from the University of Texas, was drafted by the Oilers number one overall in the 1978 NFL Draft and he was a star from the get-go.

In his first year with the Oilers, Campbell dominated the league by winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and he was also named the NFL's MVP.

Campbell finished out his rookie campaign with 1,450 yards, which led the NFL, also scored 13 touchdowns. And talk about icing on the cake, Campbell was voted to the Pro Bowl by his peers and he was also named to the NFL's All-Pro team. Is it possible any Houston athlete had a better first year?

From 1979-1981, the Tyler Rose produced his second, third and fourth straight rushing title years by running for 1,697, 1,934 and 1,376 yards. At that time, only Cleveland Brown's Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown had led the NFL in rushing in consecutive years.

During his career in an Oilers uniform, Campbell rushed for 8,486 yards and 69 rushing touchdowns. He was named to five Pro Browls, four times to the NFL' All-Pro team and was a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

In 1991, Campbell was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. To this day, Campbell remains one of the most beloved sports figures in Houston sports history. His combination of raw power and speed made him one of the most dominating running backs in NFL history.

Please enjoy this Earl Campbell highlight video for your viewing pleasure.

Photo courtesy of EarlCampbell.com.