University of Tennessee Athletics
Granting a Dream
January 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- When Galen Campbell was called to the front of the meeting room by head coach Donnie Tyndall Friday afternoon, the only thought going through his head was "why me?"
Addressing his teammates was nothing new, the Knoxville native is a frequent speaker and respected voice in the Tennessee locker room. But ahead of an important game on Saturday, he was not anticipating being the one called on to speak.
"I was thinking, why did he call me first?" Campbell said Monday afternoon.
The walk-on was being placed on scholarship for his final semester as an undergraduate at Tennessee.
"My body went in shock," he said, describing the moment. "I was speechless, honestly. It is an honor and a blessing, a dream come true."
Campbell called his mother Beverly, a former basketball player at Oral Roberts, to deliver the news to her in front of his teammates. As emotional as the moment was for him, it was even more so for her.
"My mom was really emotional," he said. "I was emotional too, but I'm one of those guys that hides his emotions, I wait to go to my room to get emotional. My family has definitely been emotional the last couple of days. My mom told my church yesterday and the whole church was emotional."
Campbell was not always as secure in his future at Tennessee. He was recruited as a preferred walk-on by one coaching staff, then was welcomed to the program by another staff for the 2011-12 season, during which he appeared in five games. He was not on the roster in 2012-13 after an institutional limit was placed on roster size. Campbell returned in 2013-14 to appear in eight games.
He considered leaving at times for an opportunity to play more elsewhere. But his family, his friends and his connection to UT kept him in the program. He helped provide stability for the team in its transition to Tyndall and his staff during the offseason.
"I'm glad I stayed," Campbell said. "I've definitely been rewarded. There was just something about Tennessee. I wanted to be here, I felt like I had a reason to be here."
That reason could be his future. Campbell wants to go into coaching to try and impact lives the same way his has been impacted, both at Tennessee and at Fulton High School.
Though he is classified as a redshirt junior on the roster, he is a senior academically and will graduate in May. Reflection and prayer led him to decide this would be his final season playing basketball, as he feels ready to begin pursing his coaching dreams.
Finishing his playing career as a scholarship athlete will make the last few months even more special.
"For this to happen for the last four months of playing basketball in my life," he said. "I've been playing basketball since I was four, both of my parents played college basketball, it's been a long journey and I'm ready for the next step. To be rewarded like this, I can't do anything but give it to God. I'm blessed. I'm definitely blessed."
