February 16, 2002 - Chris Campbell, 21, Miami Hurricanes LB:
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Miami linebacker Chris Campbell, a starter on the Hurricanes national championship team, was killed in a car accident early Saturday. He was 21.
Campbell apparently lost control of the Toyota Corolla he was driving and hit a tree at about 4 a.m. Saturday, Sgt. Raul Pedroso of the Coral Gables Police Department said.
A passenger in the car, Joel Rodriguez, was in stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Pedroso said. No other car was believed to be involved in the accident near the school's campus, Pedroso said.
The cause of death will be determined by the Miami-Dade County medical examiner after an autopsy and a toxicology exam.
Campbell, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, was a three-year starter and provided veteran stability for Miami's young linebacker corps. A senior, he was projected as a possible NFL draft pick.
Campbell had 68 tackles, two sacks and one interception in the 11 games he played last year. He missed this year's Rose Bowl with a knee injury.
During his Hurricanes career, Campbell played in 41 games and had 221 tackles and six sacks.
Campbell's father, 48-year-old Willie Searcy, learned of the crash while waiting for his son's weekly call at 8 a.m.
"I had gotten up because I was looking forward to his call," said Searcy. "And then, the police came to the door and told me."
Searcy said he last talked to Chris on Monday, when they discussed his son's May graduation and his 22nd birthday on Feb. 28.
Miami coach Larry Coker said the team will recover from Campbell's loss.
"You don't get over these things, you deal with these things. We're going to bounce back and face the future," Coker said.
Coker saw Campbell on Friday, when the player was practicing for the NFL draft, for which Coker said he was "progressing well."
Searcy said his son saw the NFL as a way to provide for his family.
"He always said that he wanted to take care of me," Searcy said. "It really didn't mean too much to him going. He always said he was doing it just for me, to make sure I was secure."
Coker said he was told by telephone of Campbell's death and immediately contacted assistant coaches and players.
About 35-40 players showed up for practice Saturday morning on their free weekend, and Coker said they were all shocked by Campbell's death.
"Chris was a wonderful young man. His death is a tragedy for our whole community," University of Miami president Donna Shalala said in a statement.
