 | |
| No. 54 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1944-07-14)July 14, 1944 Binghamton, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 2017(2017-08-09) (aged 73) Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Spokane (WA) Lewis & Clark |
| College | Idaho |
| Career history | |
| 1966–1968 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1968–1975 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1976 | Calgary Stampeders |
| Awards and highlights | |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) | |
Gerald "Soupy"Campbell (July 14, 1944 - August 9, 2017) was an American professionalfootball player, alinebacker in theCanadian Football League for theCalgary Stampeders (1966–1968) and theOttawa Rough Riders (1968–1975).
Born inBinghamton, New York, Campbell playedhigh school football for theLewis and Clark Tigers inSpokane, Washington, and graduated in 1962. He then playedcollege football at theUniversity of Idaho inMoscow, about 100 miles (160 km) south, and was a three-year starter for theVandals on defense under head coachesDee Andros andSteve Musseau.[1][2][3]
At Idaho, he was a roommate of futuremajor league pitcherBill Stoneman. Tired of spring football practice, Campbell tried out for theVandal baseball team in 1965 on a whim and made the team as a back-up catcher and outfielder.[4][5]
Campbell started his CFL career with theCalgary Stampeders in 1966.[2]
During his third year in the CFL, Campbell became a member of theOttawa Rough Riders via a trade during the1968 season. As anoutside linebacker, he played next tomiddle linebackerKen Lehmann up to 1971 and behinddefensive endBilly Joe Booth up to 1970.
He was a savvy and quick linebacker, rarely blowing his assignment. As a result, Campbell was a CFL All-Star for seven straight years (1969–1975) for the Rough Riders and played a significant part on threeGrey Cup championship teams for them, in1968,1969, and1973.
Campbell finished his CFL career where he started, in Calgary, but played only 2 games with the team in 1976.
For his high level of play and consistency over many years, Campbell was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.[6]
Campbell died of a heart attack on August 9, 2017, inToronto, aged 73. He also hadAlzheimer's disease in his later years.[7]