Francis Marion Campbell (May 25, 1929 – July 13, 2016) was an American football defensive lineman and coach. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was appropriately nicknamed "Swamp Fox" because of his first and middle names. 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.

Marion Campbell
refer to caption
Campbell on a 1955 Bowman football card
No. 76, 78
Position:Defensive lineman
Personal information
Born:(1929-05-25)May 25, 1929
Chester, South Carolina, U.S.
Died:July 13, 2016(2016-07-13) (aged 87)
Plano, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College:Georgia
NFL draft:1952 / round: 4 / pick: 46
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Head coaching record
Regular season:34–80–1
Postseason:0–0
Career:34–80–1
Record at Pro Football Reference
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Coaching career

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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

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Campbell spent the 1994 season as the defensive coordinator for his alma mater Georgia Bulldogs.[2]

Head coaching record

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "Coaches, Records, and Coaching Totals". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "Elsewhere". ALAN SCHMADTKE The Orlando Sentinel. December 7, 1993. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  3. ^ Marion Campbell Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com
  4. ^ "Everybody's All-American". Gene Asher. August 2004. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  5. ^ "Former Falcons coach recovering from broken neck". Loran Smith, Albany Herald. November 13, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  6. ^ "Ex-Eagles player and coach Campbell dies at 87". July 18, 2016.
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