Melvin Turpin and coach Joe Hall had a unique relationship at Kentucky. (UK Athletics Photo)
One of the first thoughts that former UK All-American Kenny Walker had when he heard about Joe Hall’s passing was about Melvin Turpin.
“I am quite sure him and coach Hall are having quite a reunion in heaven now,” Walker said. “Melvin Turpin was one of my favorite teammates who passed away way too young and coach Hall was a father-figure to me.”
Walker has fond memories of both Hall and Turpin, especially the battles the former UK coach had trying to keep Turpin’s weight in check.
“Most of us guys then were tall and slim and could eat anything and not gain weight except for Melvin,” Walker said. “He loved pizza, Big Macs and stuff like that. It got to a point that coach Hall told restaurants on campus not to sell him food.
“But Melvin used to have his girlfriend sneak in Big Macs. He would tell the pizza guy to come to his window (at Wildcat Lodge) and he would throw a rope out the window to pull the pizza up with. But somehow coach Hall kept his weight down and kept him in shape and made one of the best big buys ever to play at Kentucky.”
Walker remembered Thanksgiving in 1983 when Hall let the players go home a few days to be with their families. He told everyone to find a gym to work out in and not to overeat.
“He told Melvin he had to control himself and not go wild eating. Melvin told coach Hall he had just talked to his mom and she is just cooking a couple of turkeys and not cooking country ham,” Walker said. “Coach Hall said that was good and then Melvin said, ‘One of the turkeys is for the family and the other turkey is for me.’
“Coach Hall told Melvin he better not eat the whole turkey and then started laughing. We all did. I will never forget that.”
Turpin scored 1,509 points, grabbed 730 rebounds and blocked 226 shots in 123 career games at Kentucky from 1980-84. He was a two-time all-SEC selection and scored 42 points against Tennessee his junior season. He was the sixth pick in the 1984 NBA Draft but had a limited playing career due mainly to his weight issues.
