Dan Campbell was never a star in the National Football League, but the Minnesota native made history by staying in-state for his high school, college and football careers.
Campbell, who died Oct. 21 at age 86, played for the Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts from 1963-69.
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A college walk-on at the University of Minnesota, Campbell played for the 1960 Golden Gophers team that won the national championship and the 1961 team that beat UCLA in the 1962 Rose Bowl.
One year before Carl Eller in 1964, Campbell became the first Golden Gopher ever drafted by the Vikings, who were then in their third year as an NFL franchise. Eller, briefly Campbell’s teammate in college, would eventually lead the “Purple People Eaters” defensive line that transformed the Vikings into a perennial winner.
Washington Redskins running back Gerry Allen (20) carries the football during the Redskins 16-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 13, 1968 at D.C. Stadium in Washington, D.C. Lineman John Campbell of the 1968… Washington Redskins running back Gerry Allen (20) carries the football during the Redskins 16-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 13, 1968 at D.C. Stadium in Washington, D.C. Lineman John Campbell of the 1968 Steelers has died.
Nate Fine/NFL
But Campbell did not stick around for the Vikings’ golden era. He started all of two games in his two seasons with Minnesota, mostly serving as a backup to Roy Winston, before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 30, 1965 for center Buzz Nutter.
The Steelers were never good during Campbell’s five seasons in Pittsburgh (1965-69), winning a total of 14 games and never finishing above .500.
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At one point during the Steelers’ dry spell, an opposing player on the Dallas Cowboys wisecracked that “playing the Steelers was like drawing a bye,” Campbell said in a 1966 interview.
At least Campbell never lacked for playing time in Pittsburgh, getting starts in all but three of his 49 games at linebacker. He also served as the Steelers’ player representative for four of his five seasons.
Campbell’s 1968 season was limited to eight games because of a broken left elbow that ended his season early. In 1969 he split the season between the Steelers and Baltimore Colts, appearing in 11 games but starting none. He did not appear in any playoff games as the Colts reached the Super Bowl.
Campbell majored in speech at the University of Minnesota with an eye toward working in radio and television in retirement. He got his chance with WCCO, the CBS television affiliate in Minneapolis.
Later, Campbell worked as a stock broker. He founded John Campbell and Associates, a media packaging company. Campbell began work as a chaplain with the Burnsville (Minn.) police and fire departments in 2004. He retired from the chaplaincy in June 2021, at age 82.
Campbell is survived by his wife, Susan, four children, three grandchildren, and two siblings.
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