Former Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell, who parlayed his college production into a seven-year NFL journeyman career, has retired from professional football. The Dallas Cowboys placed Campbell on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday.
Campbell’s career began in Akron, Ohio, where he starred at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School as a four-star wide receiver, according to the 247Sports rankings, before heading to Columbus to play for the Buckeyes. Under head coach Urban Meyer, Campbell spent five years with the Scarlet and Gray from 2014 to 2018, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior, being named first-team All-Big Ten in his senior season, and contributing to Ohio State’s 2014 national championship.
In his record-breaking 2018 senior campaign, Campbell hauled in 90 receptions for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games, surpassing David Boston’s 1998 mark of 85 catches to become the Buckeyes’ single-season receptions leader, a record that would be broken by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2021. Over 49 games for the Scarlet and Gray, Campbell finished with 143 receptions for 1,768 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 12.4 yards per catch. He also contributed as a return specialist and rusher, adding 23 carries for 110 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Campbell’s explosiveness was impossible to ignore heading into the NFL Draft. He ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, underscoring his elite athleticism and raising expectations for a successful NFL career. The Indianapolis Colts selected Campbell in the second round, No. 59 overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft.
However, in the pros, Campbell faced a frustrating battle with injuries that kept him from ever fully realizing his considerable potential. He spent four seasons in Indianapolis before stints with the New York Giants in 2023 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Over seven NFL seasons, Campbell appeared in 50 games with 27 starts, finishing with 123 receptions for 1,117 receiving yards and six touchdown catches.
Despite an injury-marred trajectory, Campbell’s career had its high notes. Although he played primarily on special teams for the Eagles — catching just six passes for 30 yards and a touchdown — he became the 33rd former Ohio State player to win a Super Bowl when Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Campbell was a member of two championship teams over the course of his career — one at the college level and one in the NFL — a feat that is incredibly rare by almost any standard.
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His final season was with the Dallas Cowboys, where he appeared in just one game and recorded no offensive statistics. At 28, Campbell has plenty to offer as he heads into the next stage of his life.
For Ohio State fans, Campbell will be remembered as one of the most dynamic playmakers to ever wear the scarlet and gray. He was a home-state kid who chased his dreams to the game’s highest level and left both college and the pros with a championship ring.
