University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol for Life: Galen Campbell
November 08, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2011
Will Redmond
UTsports.com
Many members of the Tennessee basketball team call Knoxville their second home, but for true-freshman Galen Campbell, Big Orange Country has always been just that, home.
"I think about it all the time," Campbell said. "Not only playing for the University of Tennessee, but playing for my city of Knoxville."
Needless to say, the opportunity to play for the Vols is not lost on Campbell.
"It's a blessing to have the opportunity to play here," Campbell said. "Everyone tells me to go out and represent Knoxville because not many Knoxville kids get to play at Tennessee."
With offers from other universities to play basketball, the 6-foot 3-inch Fulton High School product believed Tennessee was where he was truly called to spend his college years.
"I prayed about it and thought about it, and I felt like God was leading me (to Tennessee)," Campbell said.
His connection to the university didn't start during his recruitment in high school however, but as a young "gym rat."
Although originally from Athens, Tenn., Campbell's development into a Vol started in Knoxville area youth leagues at the age of six. One of the greatest influences on his game was former UT standout, Tony White.
White, who has held the UT single-game scoring record with 51 points since 1987, coached Campbell in the earliest stages of his development.
"Coach White coached me from age six to 14," Campbell said. "I learned a lot from him."
The lessons Campbell learned from White helped Campbell reach Rocky Top.
"He taught me intelligence of the game--basketball IQ," Campbell said, "and he taught me to know your personnel."
It's obvious that without talent, Campbell would not be suiting up for the Vols this season, but the most important lesson White instilled in Campbell goes beyond Xs and Os.
"He taught me to have confidence in my game," Campbell said. "You can have talent, but without confidence you cannot accomplish very much." It only makes sense that a man who exuded nothing but confidence while on the court would pass this knowledge down to his youth teams, even if the rim was only six feet off the ground.
While at Tennessee, White was a pure shooter. And although Campbell sees himself in that same role, he understands that defense comes first.
"In high school I loved to score, but in college I know I need to take pride in not getting scored on," Campbell said.
Vol fans will quickly see this new defensive mindset fit right in with first year head coach Cuonzo Martin's mentality.
Life has come full circle for Campbell. From being mentored by a Tennessee legend in local gyms, to being recruited by the university he watched growing up, all roads seemed to simply point three miles south of Fulton High School.
Home is where the heart is, and for Galen Campbell, heart and home are in Knoxville, Tenn.
