Jerron Jamerson, a Goshen College graduate and former Maple Leaf basketball player, signed his first professional basketball contract on January 19 with the Moncton Miracles, a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada.

Jamerson said he first picked up a basketball when he was about 6 or 7 and has been playing ever since. He began his collegiate career at Owens Community College where he spent his freshman and sophomore year. Throughout his time at Owens, he received all OCCAC Honorable mention and Most Improved Player before transferring to Goshen.

During his career as a Maple Leaf, Jamerson averaged four rebounds a game at 280 total rebounds, 16 points a game for 964 total points, and 84 total blocks. During his junior year he finished 11th in the Crossroads League in scoring and was named to the All-Crossroads League Newcomer Team. The following year he received All-Crossroads League Honorable Mention.

Dalton Shetler, a junior and former teammate of Jamerson’s, said, “Jerron was always extremely competitive in whatever activity was in front of us. His passion for the game came alive all the time and you could tell that he genuinely loved the game, that’s what made Jerron Jamerson.”

After graduating from GC, Jamerson continued his basketball career with the Danville Riverhawks in the Premier Basketball League—a developmental league that strives to provide players with the tools to further their professional careers.

Only four games into the beginning of his 2016 season with the Riverhawks, he received a call that confirmed a deal with the National Basketball League of Canada. Two days after he received that call, he flew out to Moncton, New Brunswick.

Within the two weeks that he has been in Canada, Jamerson has already played in a total of six games for the Miracles.

“Basketball-wise it was a bit of a transition just getting used to the style of play, but I’ve settled in now. All of my teammates, coaches and even the fans have done a great job welcoming me in and making me feel like I’m at home,” said Jamerson.

Playing professional basketball has been a dream of his since that first time he picked up a basketball. “As I kept getting older I gradually got better and better every year, so I knew my turn would come. I just had to wait patiently for my opportunity,” Jamerson said.

Throughout the process of grueling training, his family and faith have been his greatest inspirations.

Jamerson said his mother, Valerie Jamerson, and his father, Jerry Jamerson, were exemplary figures of the “hard work and dedication” that inspired him to put in the time and effort at the gym daily.

Other than family, Jamerson found an inspirational breakthrough within his faith. He credits his faith for helping him overcome “so many hurdles” throughout the process over the past two years.

Billy Geschke, a junior and another former teammate of Jamerson, said, “Jerron is a prime example that you can make any dream become reality. His achievements are a reflection of the work he has put in to make that dream come true.”