Like most wide-eyed freshmen, Earl Campbell arrived at the University of Texas with mixed emotions. He was excited about his decision to become a Longhorn, his academic and athletic future at UT and the growing opportunity to meet new people. After all, Earl had rarely traveled beyond the outskirts of Tyler, the small East Texas town he had grown up in his entire life. Thus, Earl was also apprehensive as he walked across the beautiful yet extremely large and overwhelming campus. Earl arrived on the 357-acre campus with only one pair of jeans, a couple of T-shirts, one suit that his high school sweetheart and future wife, Reuna, had sewn for him and only forty dollars in his pocket.

Little did he or the rest of the world know, Earl Campbell, the young, fresh-faced kid from humble beginnings, was about to change the face of Texas Football and become one of the most influential athletes this world has ever known. His decision to sign with the University of Texas would change Earl's life forever.

The freshman recruiting class of 1974 was considered to be one of the best crops of athletes Darrell K Royal ever recruited…and it would, unfortunately, be one of his last.

Included in this class were Campbell, Rick Ingraham, Alfred Jackson and the future Outland Trophy Winner, Brad Shearer. The "rookie"class was led by an outstanding team of veterans, including Earl's player host on his official visit, Raymond Clayborn, and his new friend, Roosevelt Leaks. These young men were looked upon to be the future of Texas Football and restore the dynasty back to greatness. After all, in the eleven years prior to Earl's arrival, Texas had won three national championships - in 1963, 1969 and 1970. The expectations were high for the entire team - on the football field and in the classroom.

Upon the realization that he was being looked at as just another "dumb jock," Earl decided that he was going to prove everyone wrong. Not only did he attend every class on his schedule, but he also sat in the front row, directly in front of the teacher. He felt it was a privilege to be granted the opportunity to walk away from Texas with a degree in hand.

The 1974 football season provided a year of "firsts" for Earl: his first home game, touchdown, loss, OU rivalry, hundred-yard game and battle against Texas A&M. His first collegiate game was at Boston College on September 14, 1974. Although Earl was understandably nervous, he didn't show it on the field, rushing for 85 yards on 13 carries and leading his Horns to a 42-19 victory over their host from Massachusetts.

The Boston College game was an important ice-breaker for Earl, but nothing could have prepared him for the experience of his first home game at Memorial Stadium in front of over 75,000 screaming fans sporting burnt orange and white. His team mentors, Clayborn and Leaks, tried to prepare him for the dazed excitement they knew he would feel, but as Earl rushed from the fieldhouse to take the field, he couldn't believe his eyes. He never imagined the Texas fans would ever fill the large stadium and couldn't believe how loud they were screaming. His nervous energy quickly turned to on-field domination, however, as the young freshman rushed for 85 yards and his first collegiate touchdown, leading his team to a 34-7 victory over Wyoming. His first home game in a Longhorn uniform was a complete athletic success.

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