CULLMAN, Ala. — In this interview, I talked to one of the newest Cullman basketball greats, Tucker Gambrill. Tucker will continue his academic and athletic career at UAB in the fall, but he made a lot of memories during his time at Cullman that he was happy to discuss.
“One of my favorite sports memories has to be winning the Elite Eight. Being able to beat an amazing team in a heated environment definitely adds to the excitement and enjoyment of it,” Gambrill said. “My other favorite memory has to be winning the state championship. We were doubted for the longest time, so for our team to win on the biggest stage possible and for me to win the MVP really means a lot to me. Some of my favorite high school memories consisted mostly of just spending time with my teammates and other friends. We would tell teachers we were going to help Coach Stu, but really, we were in the gym playing wiffle ball or volleyball.”
Tucker feels lucky to have played for a couple of great coaches during his basketball career at Cullman and learned a lot about the game from both of them.
“I enjoyed my time with Bobby (Meyer), and he helped me grow as a basketball player. Stu showed me the game on a broader spectrum. He showed me how to lead and how to take control over games. I would go back in a heartbeat to play for Stu.”
Tucker is taking away a lot of lessons from his time at Cullman on and off the court and feels blessed to be a Bearcat.
“Basketball-wise, I learned how to control a game with pure chaos, how to play with emotion, but not play emotional. The staff at Cullman is severely underrated. They put their students first and not only teach kids about subjects they love but teach kids how to be great people outside of the classroom,” Gambrill said. “Cullman is a great school, not only for the athletics and academics, but the pure involvement of the community and the joy you experience while on campus. You can have a great time watching a baseball or basketball game or watch a play that involves kids of all ages on the same campus.”
Tucker will miss being at Cullman this fall and will miss the chance to be continue being a leader to the younger players on and off the court.
“I’ll definitely miss my friends. I think leadership isn’t just how you carry yourself and lead on the court. I think it’s just as important being a good leader off the court,” Gambrill said. “The most important part about being a leader is leading by example. You can’t be the kind of guy that tells everyone to do as you say while you’re not doing what you say to do. I tried bringing all of the guys and the whole program together off the court. All of the seniors tried their hardest getting the guys together after practice and even watching movies together. Those are little things that help in a big way.”
Tucker kept his advice short and sweet for the students that will be starting high school in August.
“Just be yourself.”
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