The untold story of Caleb Odom: One of adversity and perseverance

“Nobody knows his story.”

These are the words of Alden Parrish, mother of Alabama Class of 2024 tight end commitment Caleb Odom.

On Odom’s On3 profile, one can see his high rankings: No. 26 overall senior prospect in the country and the nation’s top-ranked tight end. On his MaxPreps page, you see the 17.4 yards per reception and 21 touchdowns for his high school career. As for his social media, Odom has amassed over 12,000 followers across Instagram and Twitter.

But the story of Caleb Odom cannot be told without his mother and younger brother, Kannon.

“A lot of people don’t know about Kannon,” Ms. Parrish said of her youngest son. “He suffered a traumatic brain injury at birth. His heart stopped beating, and he was without a heartbeat for way too long. Caleb was 15 when I got pregnant with Kannon.

“Kannon is supposed to be on this journey with him. He should be in the pictures at the football games with Caleb. He should also be in the pictures with Saban. Getting his SkyMiles up on the little planes and going on the trips.”

“Nobody really knows how strong Caleb has had to be.”

Caleb Odom’s recruiting process got going with an offer from Ole Miss in September 2021. Throughout his recruitment, the Carrollton (Ga.) High School product has taken over three dozen visits. Some of these trips require planning in advance in order to ensure that Kannon would have the proper care and attention he needs.

Besides taking these crucial college visits, Odom hears from coaching staff members and reporters on a weekly basis. He’s currently in the midst of his final season at the prep level, which requires hours upon hours of practice, games, and film study each week. Odom is also a high schooler with a senior class schedule, homework, and an advanced curriculum to ensure he can enroll early.

His mother praised Odom for how he has been able to stay focused and balance everything in his life with his little brother at the front of his mind.

“Nobody knows how focused he’s had to stay,” Ms. Parrish said. “You’re 15… to have your little brother in the NICU for eight months and they’re telling me that Kannon may never live. He’ll have no quality of life.

“For a 15-year-old to internalize that and still continue to give it his all and keep going, that’s really powerful. It says a lot about Caleb’s work ethic and it just says a lot about the great kid that he is and the great man he will be. He’s the man of our house. That’s his little brother. He’s always going to be there. Nobody really knows how strong Caleb has had to be just to get to where he is.”

The road for Caleb, Kannon, and their mother has not been an easy one. It continues to be a process that is taken one day at a time, while also preparing for what lies ahead in the future.

Ms. Parrish credited the overwhelming love and support they’ve received for helping them get through this entire journey.

“Our family was thrown a curveball that we never even could have imagined,” Ms. Parrish said. “It’s taken a lot of family members, it’s taken a lot of friends, it’s taken a whole village to come together to keep Caleb on this recruiting journey. If it was just left up to me, I don’t know how in the world I would be able to get Caleb to all of these places. Kannon was in the hospital the first eight months of his life.

“I definitely feel like it’s been a direct blessing from the universe, God, our ancestors, whomever. Somebody was definitely carrying Caleb besides myself. I have to feel like it was divine intervention there because it’s so much that goes on in our little family… I don’t know how else we would’ve been able to make it work.”

Through it all, one school became the clear choice for Caleb Odom

And make it work they have.

With the constant support of his mother and loved ones, Odom has seen every college that he’s wanted to see. A month of weekly travel on the road in June — five total official visits — culminated in Odom narrowing his choices down to five schools.

It took just a few weeks for Odom to then publicly reveal where he would be attending college for the next three-to-four years: Alabama. On July 15, the five-star candidate committed to Bama over a final group that featured Florida, Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

Ms. Parrish stated, however, that her son’s mind was already made up during their official visit with the Tide the first weekend of June.

“When we went on that official visit, my mind was blown,” Ms. Parrish said. “We were on the official and on the last night there, and Caleb looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to commit right now.’ I was like, ‘Don’t do it! We have to have a commitment party!’ [laughing].”

“It was really awesome. I loved keeping it a secret from everybody. When we both left Alabama, we both knew this was it.”

Their official visit to the Capstone afforded Odom and his mother an in-depth look at the program that only a select number of prospects each recruiting cycle receive.

During their multi-day stay in Tuscaloosa, the two came to a realization: Bama holds a high standard in everything that they do.

“I was absolutely blown away by the statistics and the numbers that Alabama gave us,” Ms. Parrish said. “Just the amount of money they’ve spent on their sports medicine program, their nutrition program, and physical program. What they spend on each child each year. The doctors that they have working in their facilities.

“They actually gave us so much security. I just felt so great that Alabama has this culture of being the best. Everybody strives to be Alabama, no matter who it is. Even Georgia, they want to beat Alabama because that’s the standard. Everybody wants to be Alabama. It’s Nick Saban. He’s the football G.O.A.T.”

Saban is held in high regard by Ms. Parrish, and understandably so.

“He’s arguably the greatest football coach of all time. Who would not want to have the opportunity to be coached by him?” Ms. Parrish said of Saban. “Also, just the fact that Alabama showed Caleb so much interest over Georgia, and we’re in Georgia’s backyard. I never thought I would be an Alabama fan… it was great just seeing how much care and time they put into Caleb.”

Since committing to Alabama, Odom has visited his future school five times. He was in town for the Champions Cook-Out in late July, and has been in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium for four games. Those were for the Tide’s matchups with Texas, Ole Miss, Arkansas and, most recently, Tennessee.

The plan is for Odom to return for their final home game of the season against Chattanooga on Nov. 18.

Alabama TEs coach Joe Cox has formed a close bond with Caleb Odom and his family

Nearly every single day of the week, Alabama assistant coach Joe Cox connects with Odom via text or phone call. He also frequently speaks with Ms. Parrish to see how both her and Kannon have been doing.

The care for the family outside of football means a great deal to Odom and his family.

“Coach Cox does a great job of communicating with us and making sure we’re OK,” Ms. Parrish said. “They’re always also checking on Kannon. It feels good to know that people actually see more than a football player. They see a family.”

The Crimson Tide formally extended an offer to Odom during his junior day visit in early March. Throughout the year, Cox has built a bond with the family that goes well beyond the gridiron. Odom told BamaOnLine in a recent interview that Cox has become a figure for him in his life, and that their relationship has grown during each visit he’s taken.

Ms. Parrish had equally positive things to say about Bama’s tight ends coach.

“Coach Cox is great. I love his wife, Erica. She’s so nice,” Ms. Parrish said. “We also have some similarities. I think they went to school in Augusta, and that’s where I’m actually from. That was a little bonding moment with us.

“Coach Cox is really down to earth. We talk with him a lot. Unlike a lot of the other coaches, I feel like I can really tell that he really wants to coach Caleb and he really cares about Caleb’s future. It’s like the culture of Alabama. When you hear Nick Saban talk, he talks about turning them into men and bettering their futures. It’s about football, but it’s also about them as a man and being able to take care of their families.”

Looking ahead, Odom will take an official visit with the Ole Miss Rebels next weekend (Nov. 4-5). An official visit to LSU sometime next month or in December is also under consideration. The Tigers did not earn a spot in Odom’s top five prior to his commitment.

At least one more visit elsewhere will be taken, but Ms. Parrish made it clear that the family remains very confident in the decision that was made in mid-July.

“We know where home is, but it’s nice to visit other places,” Ms. Parrish said. “It’s free, too!”

With Alabama, it has become very clear to Caleb Odom and his mother why it is the right place for him for the next chapter of his life.

“I really feel like I can trust them. They’re actually like family,” Ms. Parrish said. “It feels like it’s meant to be. It just feels like the cards are falling right in place. It’s really exciting.”

Please consider donating to Kannon’s Klubhouse

Kannon’s Klubhouse was founded in 2022 by Alden Parrish and Daviea Taylor-Hicks. Their mission statement is, “to support families with special needs children in rural areas by initiating charitable programs.” Their vision statement is, “to help parents and families go back to work and enjoy daily activities they may not be able to participate in while we give their children the medical care they need in a loving and caring environment.”

Here is also a little more on the non-profit organization from its website.

“We are a community-focused organization aiming to support families with medically fragile children. We are looking for local businesses such as food banks, gas stations, grocery stores, and others, to partner with so we can provide families with the resources they need. With their assistance, Kannon’s Klubhouse hopes to be a bridge to the essential resources and information that these families may need.

“We also aspire to offer education and literature on any information that they need to help them improve their present circumstances.“

To make a donation to Kannon’s Klubhouse, click HERE.

Phone: 678-561-0238

Email: [email protected]