Background
Campbell was born in Plainfield, New Jersey.
athletics competitor gridiron football player
Campbell was born in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Although just 18 years old, Campbell finished second to Bob Mathias in the decathlon.
At Plainfield High School he competed in track, football and swimming. He then enrolled at the Indiana University (Bloomington), where he played football and track. Campbell set New Jersey state records in the high and low hurdles and in the high jump, and scored 140 points as fullback in football.
He was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.
He was News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1952. He narrowly missed a world record.
Campbell was also an excellent swimmer as a youth. An all around athlete, Campbell was drafted by the NFL Cleveland Browns in 1957 and played one season in the same backfield as Jim Brown.
Milt was released from the Cleveland Browns by owner Paul Brown for marrying a white woman.
He then played for several years in the Canadian League, ending his football career in 1964. As he finished with most sports, Milt sought to stay active. He started and quickly progressed through the ranks under Yoshishada Yoneska.
Yoshishada Yoneska stated that Milt had a strong chance to make the 1972 Olympic team
An Amateur Athletic Union Official took his card and stated he could not compete in the Olympics for The reason was that Milt had competed as a professional football player. Milt was troubled as professional track runners were allowed to compete in the Olympics, but he could not because he played football.
In 2008, a degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, was conferred upon him by Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. In June 2012, Campbell was voted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
He died, aged 78, in Gainesville, Georgia, after fighting prostate cancer for a decade.
He is interred at Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum - North in Gainesville.