TINGHA product Preston Campbell has been awarded a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to Indigenous youth and rugby league.
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The former NRL star grew up in the region where he played for the Inverell Hawks.
Australia Day honours for the Northern Tablelands:
He made his professional debut in 1998 and was the Titans inaugural signing when they came into the competition in 2007.
His son Jayden Campbell now plays fullback at the club.
Campbell has an impressive list of achievements on and off the field.
He won a premiership with Penrith in 2003, a Dally M Medal as the best player in the game - beating out Newcastle's Andrew Johns - in 2001, and the Paul Broughton Medal as the Titans Player of the Year in 2008.
![Campbell with his son Jayden, who now plays NRL for the Titans. Preston has received an OAM for his work with Indigenous youth. Photo supplied Campbell with his son Jayden, who now plays NRL for the Titans. Preston has received an OAM for his work with Indigenous youth. Photo supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/PMrCA3Rpn38pKDFxaenbSb/6d8034a4-fbc0-4ab4-815a-e3f7bcdf3503.jpg/r0_22_840_494_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The 45-year-old became the first Life Member at the Titans in 2019.
Titans Executive Chairman Dennis Watt said Campbell was an obvious choice for life membership.
"As intrinsically entwined as Preston is to the Titans' past, he is just as important to our Club's future," Watt said.
"Preston exemplifies everything that we want the people in our organisation to be.
More recently, he established the Preston Campbell Foundation to work with Indigenous youth.
He has been a volunteer with the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathway Project, an ambassador in the Deadly Choices program and worked with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.
Campbell also played a part in the Titans Reconciliation Action Plan and still plays a big part in its Indigenous programs.
"One of the great things about the Titans is they're so encouraging of bringing the community together," Campbell said. "Even though a lot of players come from different walks of life, they're very encouraging of where the players come from.
"We're not just talking about Indigenous players; we've got women playing now and people with disabilities. "The fact they're still very happy to showcase Indigenous culture, it's a very proud moment."
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