MEET OUR GRADUATES: Basketball Standout Justin Campbell

Recruiters are now approaching Campbell about playing overseas. Justin noted that his father, the late Bruce “Soup” Campbell, had a very productive 10-year career in Europe, as well. Bruce was regarded as one of the best basketball players to ever come out of Connecticut. He went on to play for Providence College as a star forward in the late 70s. He died of cancer at age 56 when Justin was a sophomore in high school.

Justin said he hesitated following in his father’s footsteps because, he said, “My dad had big shoes to fill. People expect a lot out of you.”

“Still, Justin idolized his father,” said former RIC Basketball Coach Mike Byrnes. “After high school, Justin hoped to get a walk-on spot at Providence College, but they had already chosen their walk-ons. Lucky for me, I was able to recruit him for Rhode Island College.”

“From the day he set foot on campus, he won every single conditioning drill,” said Byrnes. “He wanted to work harder than anybody else on the floor. After a month on campus, I asked him, ‘Can you do that for four years?’ He said, ‘Yes, coach.’”

Justin also scored big academically, having the highest GPA of his team in his sophomore year. Byrnes recalled one night after a game when all the athletes were on the bus sleeping or listening to music on their headphones, Justin had on his overhead light doing homework. “It was tight, cramped and uncomfortable, but Justin wanted to keep up his grades,” Byrnes said.

Recognizing a leader-in-the-making, the team chose Justin as captain in both his junior and senior years. “He wasn't a really vocal leader,” Byrnes said. “He led by example, and the other players didn’t want to let him down.”

“As a leader, there will be times when you don’t say much but it will mean a thousand words,” Justin said.

RIC’s new Head Basketball Coach Tom Glynn, added, “Justin’s leadership both on and off the court made my transition to Rhode Island College that much easier. Prior to the start of the season, we met and he set a goal to have a winning record in his senior year. Though he battled injuries throughout the season, he led us to a winning record.”

Justin hails from a family of achievers. His older brother, age 30, plays pro football for Canada, and his sister, age 25, is a junior power lifter. When his father died, Justin said it made him strive even harder. “It’ll always be tough without my dad, but I have a strong support system – godparents, family and friends.”

But the financial hardship left by his father’s passing did have an impact on Justin’s ability to complete college. He struggled to pay for tuition and even considered dropping out. In his sophomore year, he went to his coach with his concerns. His coach then brought him to the director of athletics who gave Justin a work-study job in the Athletics Department. For the past two years, he has worked a​t the Office of Residential Life and Housing and at side jobs in home repair and landscaping.

“He’s not only a very good basketball player, Justin is a very good person," said RIC Director of Athletics Don Tencher. “He’s sound academically and has overcome an incredible amount of adversity to achieve what he has achieved. I’m confident that he’ll take all he has learned at RIC and in life, beyond the classroom and the court, and be a success in whatever professional path he chooses.”