Photo: Alexandria City Public Schools
Campbell died on Friday of organ failure, theWashington Postreported. He was 65.
Campbell was a student-athlete at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. The football team, the Titans, went on to become the first integrated team in the area after Alexandria merged its three public high schools into one in 1971.
That same year, the Titans went undefeated and won the Virginia AAA state championship.
Campbell, the team’s captain, graduated in 1973.
Remember the Titansfollows Campbell as he adjusts to the new school and teammates. Campbell and white linebacker Gerry Bertier first butt heads before bonding over the Titans’ success.
Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst as Gerry Bertier inRemember the Titans.Tracy Bennett/Walt Disney/Bruckheimer/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
“Julius was very, very instrumental on that team at simply getting kids to just talk to one another, kids who never talked to kids from another race their entire lives,” Boone told thePost.
“By doing so, they learned many things about each other that were not passed down to them and for that, the world owes Julius a debt of gratitude,” Boone explained.
Campbell’s wife of 29 years, who according to theWashington Postconfirmed the news, also spoke out on his death.
“He was a very kind, compassionate human being,” Cathy Campbell told thePost. “If you met him, you loved him.”
However, he suffered an ankle injury that ended his football career.
He then returned home to tend to his father and later began working for the Alexandria andPrince George’s County animal control departments.
Although he never stepped foot on the field again, he used his story to inspire and educate others on race relations and bullying in high school, theWashington Postreported.
source: people.com
