Brevin Galloway: Inside the Mind of a D1 & Professional Athlete

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Right About Now – Legendary Business Advice

Episode: Brevin Galloway: Inside the Mind of a D1 & Professional Athlete
Host: Ryan Alford (The Radcast Network)
Date: November 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features Brevin Galloway—former Clemson basketball star and current professional player in Lithuania—offering a raw, behind-the-scenes look at the journey from high school hoops to college stardom, struggle with injuries and mental health, the realities of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals, and the transition to international pro basketball. Galloway brings unfiltered candor, sharing both his triumphs and darkest moments to illuminate what it really takes to build an athletic and business brand in the modern sports era.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Brevin Galloway's Background and Early Basketball Journey

[03:21–03:49]

• Roots in Anderson, SC: Grew up playing basketball, heavily influenced by his father.
• High School Transition: Played at TL Hannah and Seneca High School.
• Key Takeaway: Basketball shaped his resilience and maturity:
  "Basketball has been nothing but great to me. It’s taught me through a lot of adversity, taught me how to be a man, taught me how to grow up and become who I’ve become." — Brevin Galloway [03:21]

College Years and Coach Relationships

[03:51–04:17]

• Choosing Charleston: Followed Coach Earl Grant due to pre-existing relationships and trust.
• Emphasis on Mentorship: Decision driven by loyalty and personal connections.

Realities of Being a D1 Athlete

[04:33–05:43]

• Hidden Struggles: Daily setbacks, more "bad days than good," and the constant demand to face adversity.
• Mental Health:
  "When I think about my toughest moments at Boston College...from dealing with depression, anxiety, and the suicidal thoughts...people don’t realize that we’re actually people too." — Brevin Galloway [04:33]
• Public Pressure: Social media and public focus only on performance, not personal wellbeing.
• Message: It's okay to not be okay, and speaking up helps others too.

The Clemson Experience & Coach Brad Brownell

[05:43–06:20]

• Returning Home: Fulfilling a childhood dream by playing for Clemson.
• Gratitude: Appreciates Coach Brownell's trust despite past injuries.
• Full Circle Moment:
  "I went to all the kids camps growing up and he signed the back of my T-shirts and stuff...It was weird to play for him and have him yell at me." — Brevin Galloway [05:49]

Advice for Parents and Young Athletes on NIL Deals

[06:39–07:39]

• Parental Pressure: Advises parents not to force social media/NIL strategies on their children.
• Who Gets NIL Deals & Why:
  "It all comes down to attention, social media clout and followers...If you can’t really bring anybody else money, you’re probably not going to get those deals." — Brevin Galloway [06:39]
• Practical Advice: If a kid enjoys content creation, pursue it; otherwise, don’t push it. Authenticity matters.

Content Creation vs. Athletic Identity

[07:39–08:21]

• Public Perception Dichotomy:
  "Some people view me as an athlete, some people view me as a goofy content creator." — Brevin Galloway [07:51]
• Mental Toll: Social media can be a double-edged sword, demanding both compartmentalization and maturity to escape negativity.

Dealing with Adversity & Maintaining Hope

[08:21–09:37]

• Survival Tactics: Leaned on hope throughout dark periods.
• Memorable Quote:
  "Today could be today. That stuck with me because you never know what day your whole life could flip." — Brevin Galloway (attrib. to Jerrell Brantley) [09:06]
• Resilience Theme: Never stopping is key to seeing happier times.

NIL/Brand Deals & Entrepreneurship as a Student-Athlete

[09:37–10:17]

• Types of Deals: Mix of cash and product-based contracts (e.g., Amazon, Shop Gold jewelry).
• Entrepreneurial Mindset:
  "I was able to make my own graphic tee...I made TikToks and got paid for that." — Brevin Galloway [09:46]

Transition to Professional Basketball Overseas

[10:17–12:10]

• Culture Shock & Adjustments: Navigating language barriers, missing familiar foods, but embracing the community in Lithuania.
• Professional Aspirations: Plays in Lithuania’s top league; aims for continued growth and financial security.
• Level of Competition: High; includes numerous former and current NBA players.
• Reflection on Career Path:
  "I want to make sure that I’m able to actually enjoy my career while I can, because that’s what really matters." — Brevin Galloway [12:10]

Future Goals & the Modern Athlete’s Brand

[12:33–13:23]

• Short- & Long-Term Visions:
  • Play at the highest European levels, aim for EuroLeague.
  • Grow as both an athlete and content creator:
    "I want to be an international celebrity as well...That’s another half of me I have to be able to do to be fully happy." — Brevin Galloway [12:47]
• Overseas Athlete Content Creation: Filling a niche for relatable, real-time content.

Social Media & Personal Branding

[13:23–13:42]

• Unified Handles:
  "I’m Brevin Galloway on every single platform. I want to make sure that we limit the confusion." — Brevin Galloway [13:38]
• Marketing Perspective: Consistency helps SEO and personal brand growth.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The world just sees how many points we have, how many threes we miss...We have feelings and we have needs...it’s okay not to be okay and it’s okay to speak up about it." — Brevin Galloway [04:33]
• "If you stop, then obviously you’re never gonna get to that good day or that good point." — Brevin Galloway [09:06]
• "You never really know until you get on the court with everybody...But yeah, I mean, it’s been great out here." — Brevin Galloway [11:53]
• "I want to be me on and off the court...I kind of want to be known as a dominant guard overseas...There’s not a lot of content creators doing overseas basketball content." — Brevin Galloway [12:47]
• "Once a Tiger, always a Tiger." — Ryan Alford [14:02]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Brevin's Early Life & Basketball Origin: [03:21–03:49]
• Choosing Charleston & Relationship with Coach Grant: [03:51–04:17]
• Mental Health and Pressures of D1 Athletics: [04:33–05:43]
• Playing at Clemson & Coach Brownell: [05:43–06:20]
• Parental Advice on NIL: [06:39–07:39]
• Athlete vs. Influencer Dichotomy: [07:39–08:21]
• Overcoming Dark Times: [08:21–09:37]
• NIL & Entrepreneurship: [09:37–10:17]
• Transitioning to Lithuanian Basketball: [10:17–12:10]
• Future Goals & Athlete Branding: [12:33–13:23]
• Personal Branding Advice: [13:38]

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Podcast Tone & Takeaway

Authentic, motivational, and practical, this episode offers candid reflection on the modern athlete’s dual life as both competitor and content creator, unpacking the pressures, pitfalls, and paths to building a long-term brand inside and outside sport. Brevin’s blend of hope, resilience, and realism makes the conversation invaluable for athletes, parents, and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.

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Transcript

[Ryan Alford]

This former college basketball star faced everything from a career threatening ACL tear to the intense struggles of mental health. Proving the battle off the court is the hardest one to win. Join Brevin Galloway as he reveals his incredible seven year journey, navigating four different schools, capitalizing on the chaos of early nil deals and transitioning to professional basketball in Lithuania. You want the real unedited truth about how to overcome adversity and build a global brand in the modern era of athletics.

[Brevin Galloway]

I always have hope. That's one thing that I've always had throughout my life. I can take a bad situation and flip it into a good one. One of my former teammates, Jerrell Brantley, he would always tell me, today could be today. That stuck with me because you never know what day your whole life could flip. You never know you could get the contract that day. Your video could go viral that day. You could get good news. If you stop then obviously you're never gonna get to that good day or that good point. That was always in the back of my mind going through my dark times and my dark period. If I stop now, I'm never gonna see the light.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is right about now with Ryan Alford. A radcast Network production. One business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month. Taking the BS out of business for over 6 years in over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping necks and cashing checks? Well, it starts right.

[Ryan Alford]

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[Podcast Announcer]

About now.

[Ryan Alford]

Hey Guys, what's up? They say if it's radical, we cover it. Well, it's not only radical, it's a guilty pleasure. I guess. I'm always a Clemson Tiger, you know, once you're a Tiger, always a Tiger. My buddy, Brevin Galloway, pro Lithuanian basketball player and all time Clemson great. I'm just going to put you on that list, Brevin. What's up, man?

[Brevin Galloway]

I like it, I like it. That's a crazy statement, but I love it.

[Ryan Alford]

Let's just tell everybody the ins and outs of Brevan's basketball journey and maybe just your life journey, man. Let's go there. Yeah.

[Brevin Galloway]

So I'm originally from Anderson, South Carolina. I went to TL Hannah for three years and then I transferred to Seneca High School. I played basketball, you know, growing up my whole life. Always what I love to do. My dad was a really big part of my life in terms of putting the ball in my hands. Obviously the game was just kind of in me since a young kid. Obviously I was able to grow into a good player, decent player, I have to say, and make a name for myself along those lines. Basketball has been nothing but great to me. It's been taught me through a lot of adversity, taught me how to be a man, taught me how to grow up and just become who I've become. So I'm thankful for it.

[Ryan Alford]

What led you to Charleston? How was your time down in Charleston?

[Brevin Galloway]

Charleston was great. That was my first spot and I went because of coach Earl Grant. Earl Grant was an assistant at Clemson during the time period before he got the job at Charleston. Already had built a relationship with him since Clemson was recruiting me. And then once he got the job at Charleston, it was kind of like an easy decision. I already knew where I wanted to go and spend my four years. I trusted him. My dad was really, really good friends with him growing up. I think throughout their after college they, that's whenever they met he already had a relationship with him. Bill. So it was pretty much just kind of an easy yes at that point.

[Ryan Alford]

You got a lot of you watching on TV and everybody thinks they know and understand what it's like to be a D1 athlete. When you get hurt, the rehab or the practices and the structure and all that, walk us through, through the lens. Just the ins and outs of that. Something that maybe people don't totally understand with what it's like as a college.

[Brevin Galloway]

Athlete in general, you definitely have more bad days than good. That's one thing that people kind of need to know. Going into it, because not every day is going to be roses and sunshine. There's going to be a lot of storms that you have to face and, you know, just face head on early in your career. And like, I feel like that matured in you for later on. But yeah, I think the biggest thing with just being a college athlete is really just overcoming adversity, because that's what it comes down to. I mean, when I think about my toughest moments at Boston College, what I had to go through from a mental health standpoint, from dealing with depression, anxiety and the suicidal thoughts, people don't realize that we're actually people too. And we have feelings and we have needs that we need to attend to other than just performing stuff on the court, because that's all the world sees. The world just sees how many points we have, how many, how many threes we miss. That's all the DMS I get. I never get any supportive DMs about checking in on you, how are you doing? Like when you're. Real life stuff, real life problems. I feel like that's just the common thing that college athletes have to deal with is just they treat us like superheroes. We can handle criticism any kind of way, but anything that pops up, we're just supposed to be able to just deal with it and we're not supposed to pretty much let it affect us. That's probably the biggest thing that I learned throughout my college career was just it's okay not to be okay and it's okay to speak up about it and actually, like, let the world know that you're not okay and you may get back, which I do get on my socials. At the same time, the small percentage that I can't affect in a positive way is what I'm going for.

[Ryan Alford]

You come to Clemson. Clemson's in desperate need of a shooter. You provide that. And what was it like playing for Brad Brownell?

[Brevin Galloway]

It was great. I was thankful that he gave me the opportunity to come back home, especially since I'm from the area I wanted. I was a childhood dream of mine. I played for Clemson. I'm very, very thankful for that opportunity that he allowed me to do so, especially considering the fact that I had so many injuries and setback. You know, he could have easily picked somebody else in the transfer portal. From our conversations, he trusted me and believed in me and the vision that I had for the programs. It was a great honor to play for him, especially since, you know, I went to all the kids camps growing up and he signed the back of my T shirts and stuff like that. So it was weird to be able to play for him and have him yell at me actually for a couple bats, a couple mistakes. But it was a good experience nonetheless.

[Ryan Alford]

For parents out there that are curious about this, what advice now that you've lived a breed that you did well, you have done well. I want to talk about what you can talk about in that regard, but how should parents think about this and how could they starting to maximize their children that have the talent to maybe get this kind of attention and be a D1 and all that? Is there advice that you'd give them or the athlete?

[Brevin Galloway]

I think from a parent's perspective, don't force it on your kids in terms of trying to hope for it because obviously getting nil deals, I hate to say it, but it's just not fair in terms of who gets them and who doesn't. Just because it all comes down to attention, social media clout and followers. And you know how it is nowadays. If you can't really make anybody else attention or bring anybody else in money, you're probably not going to get those deals. That means that obviously if you have the platform for it and if you love social media and you like doing that type of stuff, then yeah, go ahead and go all in for it. But if not and you kind of just want to make some extra money on the side and your kid doesn't really want to give all in for it, then don't do it because then it's going to end up just ruining y' all relationship probably if you're fortunate on somebody. That's what I have to say from the kid, from the parents perspective and from the kids perspective. Like I said, like obviously if you want a little bit of extra money in your pocket, you can get out of your comfort zone. Make a couple tick tocks, make a couple Instagram stories and hey, you might get some free food, free clothes, free gear, like whatever it may be. Like obviously I said like the elite of elites get money for their content. But like I said, those are select few. But yeah, really just do what you want to do. Obviously if you want to get out of your comfort zone, you can, but at the end of the day just do whatever your heart wants.

[Ryan Alford]

It's become fascinating to me this balance between being the content creator and being the superstar athlete. Those two are very different things. Am I an actor or am I an athlete? They don't always come together right.

[Brevin Galloway]

It never does. Like especially people in the comments and people on Social media in general, like, they treat you like one or the other. Some people view me as an athlete, some people view me as a goofy content creator. So I have to live with that, obviously, because that's what position I put myself in. But still, at the end of the day, it's funny to think about, like, how really people treat you differently based off how they view you.

[Ryan Alford]

Like it, love it or hate it. I mean, social media is here and if you can get your arms around it and embrace it, it brings a lot of opportunity. But it can have the impact negative too. With mental health and all that, you got to be able to compartmentalize it, right?

[Brevin Galloway]

That's where I've had to learn and that's where I feel like I matured and grew during my time period in Boston, because obviously I got on social media and that was whenever I was at my lowest in terms of my weight, depression, my suicidal thoughts, mental health. That's whatever. I was fighting for my life pretty much. I would get on. I was ardently battling demons inside of me and my mental. And then I would get on Twitter and then see all these other mean tweets about me. So I'm like, dang, like I really have to like, remember social media is not real. Take a break from it and kind of distance myself from it. And obviously seeing those tweets about me hurt. I live two years now and it's just, wow. I'm happy that I was able to kind of face all that head on because it's made me tougher, mentally individual and stuff like that.

[Ryan Alford]

When you look back now, it never goes away. We're all human beings. We're dealing with struggles every day. What have been like tactics or things or people, what kind of got you through to the other side?

[Brevin Galloway]

I always have hope. That's one thing that I've always had throughout my life. I can take a bad situation to flip it into a good one. One of my former teammates, Jerrell Brantley, who played in the NBA and he plays overseas now, but he always like growing up he teammate at Charleston, and he would always tell me, today could be today. That stuck with me because you never know what day your whole life could flip. You never know. You could get the contract that day, your video could go viral that day, you could get good news. If you stop then obviously you're never going to get to that good day or that good point. That was always in the back of my mind going through my dark time and my dark period. If I stop now, I'm Never going to see the light. And so that was something that's always stuck on me probably throughout that whole process.

[Ryan Alford]

Were you getting paid for some of these engagements between Boston College and Clemson? Were you there? Some that were dollars and some that were trade or merchandise and those kind of things?

[Brevin Galloway]

Combination, yeah, it was a combination to both certain companies, like with Amazon, I partnered with them and did like my own little clothing lines. I was able to make my own graphic tee. I got paid to promote their products. And then I also got to have my little own clothing line to the side. So that was one of the cooler deals I feel like that I did throughout my time at Clemson. But yeah, then I have a Shop Gold deal and that's a jewelry company and I was able. They obviously sent me free jewelry and then I made tick tocks and got paid for that. I mean, in exchange. So those are two of my favorite deals that I probably did. Within a space. You obviously could get merchandise and pay for both, depending on which company and what the contract is.

[Ryan Alford]

So what's it been like leaving Clemson, now playing pro ball in Lithuania? Talk to me about that process and the transition.

[Brevin Galloway]

Obviously, it's a night and day difference in terms of just the culture and everything. Obviously I'm out here. I can't understand anything they're saying, so I just had to use Google Translate a good bit. Other than that, the people are really, really nice and welcoming. You know, the city that I'm in in Lithuania is called Kadani, so it's about the same size as Clemson, so it's not like it's really that big in terms of like a size difference. But yeah, I mean, it's been great out here. Obviously I got to get adjusted to the food. There's no Bojangles, there's no McDonald's, no Wendy's. They got the McDonald's, but it's an hour away. I'm a fast food guy. I really, really, really love and miss my fast food. At the end of the day, we're just playing basketball with a whole bunch of guys. Obviously still got the same type of vibe in the locker room. It's a little bit more on the line in terms of, you know, the league that we're playing in. I'm in the top league in Lithuania. It's the same exact league, like Lamelo Ball and all them played in whatever they spend their time in Lithuania, well respected league. So I'm excited to be here for my rookie season. It's a great platform for me to be able to Level up quick too. Hopefully if I have a good rookie year by year, year three or four, I'll be able to be making a lot of money doing this. So I'm happy and excited for the future.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, there's a lot of money over there. There's a lot of fans and support for basketball overseas, definitely.

[Brevin Galloway]

Especially it depends on what country you land in. Serbia is crazy. Basketball is really, really crazy. I'm trying to think where else leagues in Spain, the euroleague. There's a really, really high level basketball over here. And there's a lot of NBA guys coming over here playing too. Obviously once they kind of get later on in their careers. But so yeah, I mean there's a lot of big names and money to be made over here overseas basketball for sure.

[Ryan Alford]

How's your game these days? You still stroking it?

[Brevin Galloway]

Hey man, it's going to be beautiful. I can' for y' all to see the highlights. Gonna be a good year for me for sure. I'll leave it at that for now.

[Ryan Alford]

I'm excited you're playing point guard though, right?

[Brevin Galloway]

Yeah, I'm playing point guard.

[Ryan Alford]

How's your squad overall?

[Brevin Galloway]

We're actually going to be a lot better than what I thought because obviously you never really know until you get on the court with everybody. I'm excited. A lot of basketball coming up, so we're excited.

[Ryan Alford]

Some of the best players in the NBA right now from overseas. Every other big name is from overseas these days. Basketball competition is high over there and I'm sure you're feeling that or seeing it.

[Brevin Galloway]

The skill that's the biggest thing is like obviously the NBA would be lovely to play in. But at the same time I want to make sure that I'm able to play and not like, because obviously I could have fought for an NBA spot or this and that would I have played. Probably not. And I want to make sure that I'm able to actually enjoy my career while I can because that's what's really matters. And like you said like the competition and respect over here is, is big. It's not like you're just playing against 40 year old men. Like now you're playing against some elite guys.

[Ryan Alford]

Brevin, where is it all headed, man? We all got to write our own story. We know you're going to be putting the effort in. We know you got the game. But obviously shit happens that you can't control what's next 5 or 10 years. Just live that pro basketball dream and go as far as you can where you want to go with your career and everything.

[Brevin Galloway]

Definitely want to play the, like, top level ball over in Europe if possible. I want to play in the euroleague. I kind of want to be known as a Dominic guard overseas. That's just what I envision for myself. I want to be an international celebrity as well, you know, with the social media life and, you know, tick tock and doing all that type of stuff because I love content. That's another half of me that I have to be able to do in order for me to be fully happy. So I just want to be on top of the basketball stuff, be on top of this content creator stuff and kind of want to be known for overseas basketball because I feel like there's not a lot of content creators that are doing overseas basketball content. Last few videos I've made this past couple weeks, I've did well numbers on social media. I'm excited to start that journey as well in terms of that. So, yeah, I'm excited for everything.

[Ryan Alford]

That's the modern player, man. You got the game on and off the court. The social media game and the game, it's a winning combination. Speaking of those social media channels, Brevin, where can everybody watch the latest content?

[Brevin Galloway]

I'm Brevin Galloway. On every single platform, I want to make sure that we limit the confusion.

[Ryan Alford]

That's smart. You way ahead as a marketing guy. You got to put together, you know, Brevin 2743, Galloway number one. It sounds cool, but. But it gets confusing. It hurts your SEO too. I love it, brother. Well, I really appreciate you coming on the show. It's been great watching your journey. Once a tiger, always a tiger.

[Brevin Galloway]

Yes, sir.

[Ryan Alford]

Baby.

[Brevin Galloway]

I appreciate you. It was an honor. Thank you for having me.

[Ryan Alford]

Hey, guys. You know where to find us. Search for Brevin Galloway. You'll find all the highlight clips from today and go give him a follow on Tik Tok and Instagram. He's blowing up and doing a great job with his content. You know where to find me at. Ryan offered that blue check right next to my name before I could buy it.

[Brevin Galloway]

That.

[Ryan Alford]

We'll see you next time.

[Podcast Announcer]

This has been Right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast network production. Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for listening.