Led the integrated Titans football team to a Virginia State Championship.
Julius Campbell was a star defensive lineman who helped lead the T.C Williams Titans to the 1971 Virginia state championship title. The Alexandria, Virginia high school was newly integrated and Campbell was a key player in bringing harmony to the team after initial racial tension. The Titans’ story was portrayed on screen in the movie “Remember the Titans,” which starred Denzel Washington.
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Died: Friday, January 25, 2019 (Who else died on January 25?)
Details of death: Died at the age of 65 from organ failure
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Helping to create harmony on the team: “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. 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.” —Herman Boone, Titans coach from 1971 to 1979, told the Washington Post
Campbell befriended white linebacker Gerry Bertier and the two became the leaders of the team, helping to unify the players.
“One Heartbeat”: Julius Campbell was the player who told the team in order to win they needed to have “one heartbeat.” This was a key scene in the “Remember the Titans” movie, in which actor Wood Harris played Campbell.
Full obituary: Washington Post
Related lives:
Herman Boone (1935 – 2019), “Remember the Titans” head football coach
- George Taliaferro (1927–2018), first black player drafted into the NFL
- Civil Rights Leaders
- Inspirational Lives Gallery
