City hires new code enforcement officer

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December 28, 2012

City hires new code enforcement officer

The brother of 'The Tyler Rose' now an employee with City of Jacksonville's public works department

Ben Tinsley Jacksonville Daily Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Fri Dec 28, 2012, 08:06 AM CST

ALTO — He's the brother of insanely famous former professional NFL running back Earl "The Tyler Rose" Campbell.

He played college ball for the University of Texas in Austin in the late 70s. For a brief period, he was a member of the Houston Oilers.

He's spent a great portion of the past 30 years working in parks and recreation for the cities of Austin and Tyler. Following that, he worked for Meals On Wheels and as a certified Smith County jailer.

Not to mention he's a twin. One of 11 children – seven boys and four girls.

Meet Tim Campbell, 56, of Tyler, Jacksonville's newest public works officer.

Campbell acknowledges it won't immediately be easy to walk in his predecessor's shoes. He replaces the late Stacy DeWayne Hunter, an area figure so beloved that Jacksonville residents have started a campaign to get a holiday named after him.

Hunter, a city code enforcement officer, was shot and killed early Oct. 27 – allegedly by a distant relative – at the night club on North Jackson Street that bears his name.

These aren't the best of circumstances under which to start a new job, but Campbell said he has nothing but the utmost respect for Hunter.

"I read about him in the paper and he seemed like a really exciting guy," Campbell said.

"I know he loved kids, and worked a lot with the youth football league."

City Manager Mo Raissi said he is happy to have Campbell aboard. Will Cole, public works director for the city, agreed, saying Campbell was the obvious choice for the job.

"He is one of the five candidates we selected and interviewed from the 30 or 40 who applied," Cole said.

"We felt like this background working with municipalities and as a jailer would be a big asset in code enforcement."

Campbell, who started work the day after Christmas, certainly is not the only brother of a famous football player to work for or with a city. There is, for instance, the case of Highland Village in North Central Texas, where Terry Bradshaw's brother Craig has led an active political career. Bradshaw also was briefly a member of the Oilers.

Campbell's been working with municipalities for awhile. After leaving football, he worked for the Austin parks and recreation department for 10 years followed by a similar job in Tyler for the next 20.

He retired but then un-retired when a family emergency struck.

"The main reason I retired is because my Mom was really sick," Campbell said. "She died about three years ago of congestive heart failure."

After the death of his mother Ann at age 85 in 2009, Campbell became antsy sitting around.

So he started work again, first with Meals On Wheels and then as a jailer for the Smith County Sheriff's Department.

Tim Campbell said he and his twin brother, Steve, often get mistaken for their famous brother Earl, who was a Heisman-winning running back in 1974. Most recently this happened in Jacksonville.

"I was having a hamburger at Legends the other day and I had to use my last name to get my burger," he said. "When the lady called out 'Campbell!' This lady looked and me and said 'Campbell?" That's my name. Are you any kin …?' And I said, 'Yep! That's my brother.'"

After awhile you get used to it, Campbell said.

"You just have to go with the flow," he said with a laugh.

Brother Earl was born March 29, 1955.

Twins Tim and Steve Campbell were introduced to the world on July 4, 1956.

"We're a couple of firecracker babies," Tim Campbell said.

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City hires new code enforcement officer

The brother of 'The Tyler Rose' now an employee with City of Jacksonville's public works department

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