Marion Campbell
American football player and coach (1929–2016)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francis Marion Campbell (May 25, 1929 – July 13, 2016) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a defensive lineman and was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.
Chester, South Carolina, U.S.
Plano, Texas, U.S.
Campbell on a 1955 Bowman football card | |||||||||||
| No. 76, 78 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Defensive end, defensive tackle, guard, tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | May 25, 1929 Chester, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | July 13, 2016 (aged 87) Plano, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College | Georgia | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1952: 4th round, 46th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||
| Regular season | 34–80–1 (.300) | ||||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||
Campbell played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was nicknamed "Swamp Fox" after Revolutionary War General Francis Marion. During his National Football League (NFL) playing career, he played for the San Francisco 49ers (1954–1955) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1956–1961), winning Pro Bowl honors in 1959 and 1960 and also being named 1st team All-Pro in 1960 as part of the Eagles' championship team that year. He was one of the last of the NFL's "two-way" players who played all offensive and defensive snaps in a game.
Coaching career
NFL
Campbell was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons (twice) and Philadelphia Eagles as well as the defensive coordinator for each team separate from his times as head coach. He also served as defensive line coach for the Boston Patriots (1962–1963), Minnesota Vikings (1964–1966), and the Los Angeles Rams (1967–1968). He was an expert in the 3–4 defense; his Eagles defenses ranked first in the league in points allowed in 1980 and 1981, and second and first in yards allowed. At 46 games under .500, Campbell's 34–80–1 head coaching record is the worst among all NFL head coaches to coach over 100 games and is the fifth lowest winning percentage among head coaches who have coached at least five seasons in the NFL. The only coaches with worse winning percentages are Phil Handler, Bert Bell, Carl Storck, and David Shula.[1]
Georgia
Campbell spent the 1994 season as the defensive coordinator for his alma mater Georgia Bulldogs.[2]
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | ||
| ATL | 1974 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | 4th in NFC West |
| ATL | 1975 | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 3rd in NFC West |
| ATL | 1976 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 3rd in NFC West |
| PHI | 1983 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in NFC East |
| PHI | 1984 | 6 | 9 | 1 | .400 | 5th in NFC East |
| PHI | 1985 | 6 | 9 | 0 | .400 | 4th in NFC East |
| ATL | 1987 | 3 | 12 | 0 | .200 | 4th in NFC West |
| ATL | 1988 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in NFC West |
| ATL | 1989 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 4th in NFC West |
| Total[3] | 34 | 80 | 1 | .300 | ||
Personal life
Campbell spent two years in the United States Army between college and the NFL. He lived in St. Augustine, Florida with his wife, the former June Roberts. The Campbells have two children: a daughter, Alicia Johnson, and a son, Scott.[4] In 2013, Campbell fell and broke multiple vertebrae in his neck.[5] He died on July 13, 2016.[6]