Second Chance Season: How “2Tall” Found His Way Back to the Game 

By Madeline Bolden- Sports writer  

On the court, they call him 2Tall. 

The name fits. Long arms. Easy stride. The kind of presence that makes defenders hesitate before he even touches the ball. But the nickname did not come from highlight reels or recruiting rankings. It came from the West Bank of New Orleans, in the Fischer Projects, where Jamel Gibson grew up towering over the other kids in his neighborhood. About six years ago, they started calling him “Too Tall.” The name stuck. So did the story. 

Jamel Gibson is 27 years old and a junior in college basketball. That alone makes people pause. His journey was not linear. It wasn’t polished. And it definitely wasn’t planned. 

“I stopped going to school in the 10th grade,” he says plainly. “I wasn’t focused.” 

At 16, he walked away from high school. For years, college wasn’t even a thought. Basketball wasn’t either. While most athletes his age were grinding through AAU circuits and varsity championships, Jamel wasn’t playing high school ball at all. Instead, life moved differently. 

It wasn’t until he was 24, playing in a local men’s league, that everything shifted. A student assistant coach from Southern University of New Orleans happened to be on the opposing team. After the game, he asked Jamel where he played. 

“I told him I didn’t.” That answer opened a door. 

Soon after, Jamel earned his GED and enrolled at Southern University of New Orleans. Just like that, he went from a 10th-grade dropout to a college freshman athlete in his mid-twenties. And he was good. But Southern wasn’t the final stop. 

“It had nothing to do with basketball,” he says about transferring. “It was academic.” 

He wanted something stronger. He found it at Xavier University of Louisiana, majoring in Criminal Justice. The biggest adjustment hasn’t been the game speed. It’s sitting in a classroom. 

For years at Southern, he took online classes. At Xavier, classes are in person and more demanding. The last time Jamel regularly sat in a physical classroom before college was ninth or tenth grade. 

“That’s probably been the biggest adjustment,” he admits. Still, he fit in almost immediately. What stood out first wasn’t Gibson’s size, it was his attitude. 

 “He came in ready to work with a really good attitude. He was a positive teammate,” said student assistant coach Iniko McNeil. “We had a tough start to the season. A lot of new faces, a lot of youth. And he brought exactly the kind of positive energy we needed.” 

McNeil said adjusting mid-season isn’t easy for any transfer athlete. 

 “You’ve got the schoolwork and paperwork first. Then you’re adjusting to new teammates, new coaches, new plays, a whole new system,” McNeil said. “That’s a lot to put on somebody’s plate. But he’s handled it.” 

His presence hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates either. Sean Brown, a combo guard in his first season alongside Gibson, remembers his first impression clearly. 

“My first thought was that he was going to make us better and take us to another level,” said Brown, a Mass Communication major from Baton Rouge, La. 

 “His resume speaks for itself. He’s a two-time Player of the Year and basically a walking double-double.” 

Brown said Gibson’s impact goes beyond scoring. 

“He’s able to do a lot of different things,” Brown said. “He can score within the offense, rebound, create extra plays for us, and he’s a really good passer. That’s something people don’t always talk about.” 

What stands out most, Brown says, is Gibson’s composure. 

“He doesn’t get too high or too low,” Brown said. “He stays even-keeled. If he has a bad game or tough practice, he just fights through it.” 

As the season turns its final stretch, McNeil sees Gibson playing a major role. 

“He’s going to be one of the biggest keys to our puzzle,” McNeil said. “We’re turning the corner at the right time, and it’s because he’s playing well. He’s getting comfortable, and his teammates are getting comfortable with him. The product is looking good on the court. He’s going to be a big part.” 

Basketball is part of Gibson’s long-term vision, but not in the traditional fairytale sense. 

“I think I’m gonna go overseas,” he says. “It’s more longevity.” 

To him, overseas basketball feels steadier. Sustainable. A longer runway. Off the court, he’s layered. He bowls. He tattoos – not just collecting ink, but creating it. What started as getting tattoos turned into learning how to do them himself. Now it’s a side hustle and an art form. 

He’s also a father. Two boys. Five and six, born on the same day, one year apart. When he talks about them, his tone shifts. Less playful. More grounded. His life doesn’t follow the typical recruiting story. There were no high school highlight tapes. No signing day photos at 18. 

“It wasn’t a plan,” he says about basketball. “It just happened.” 

But sometimes the stories that “just happen” carry the most weight. From the Fischer Projects to a college campus classroom he’s still adjusting to. From dropping out in the 10th grade to majoring in Criminal Justice. From men’s league pickup runs to college basketball. From being “Too Tall” in the neighborhood to ‘2Tall’ in a university jersey. Jamel Gibson’s story isn’t about a straight path. It’s about return. 

“I’m finishing what I started,” Gibson said. “This time, I’m not walking away.”