Jason McElwain
Jason McElwain | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Greece Athena High School |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
Parent(s) | David and Debbie McElwain |
Awards | ESPY Award for the Best Moment in Sports |
Jason McElwain, nicknamed J-Mac (born October 20, 1988), is an American amateur athlete in both basketball and marathon running, and a public speaker with high-functioning autism. McElwain came to fame on international news in 2006, when he shocked the world playing in a high-school basketball game and scored twenty points in the final few minutes of the game.
In 2003, Jason McElwain was appointed as the manager of the
Ten years later, McElwain made his professional basketball debut with the
Early life
Jason McElwain was born on October 20, 1988, to David and Debbie McElwain, and was diagnosed with autism at the age of two years.[4][5] Jason and his family lived in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York.[4] He initially struggled when interacting with other children, but began to develop social skills as he grew older.[6] Although he was placed in special education classes,[6] McElwain enjoyed basketball, to which he was introduced by his older brother Josh,[7] and was appointed manager of Greece Athena High School's varsity basketball team.[6] He was given the nickname “J-Mac” after former Syracuse player Gerry McNamara who had the nickname “G-Mac”.
February 15, 2006, basketball game
McElwain's performance was videotaped by fellow Greece Athena student Marcus Luciano, who was substituting for the team's normal videographer. Before the game, Johnson gave Luciano strict instructions to track only the game formations. However, according to ESPN writer Elizabeth Merrill, Luciano "had a well-deserved reputation for breaking the rules"; when he saw McElwain make his first shot, he ignored Johnson's instructions and instead panned the crowd reaction to McElwain's performance. Johnson was initially angry, but he soon changed his mind, calling Luciano's decision "a brilliant move".[10]
Reaction
In his hometown of Greece, New York, McElwain quickly became a celebrity.[6]
But our country was captivated by your amazing story on the basketball court. I think it's a story of Coach Johnson's willingness to give a person a chance. It's a story of Dave and Debbie's deep love for their son, and it's a story of a young man who found his touch on the basketball court, which in turn, touched the hearts of citizens all across the country. |
—President George W. Bush (while talking about McElwain's twenty-point game)[11] |
McElwain met
McElwain appeared on The Talk in April 2011 as part of the show's month-long series on autism awareness. He told the hosts he was head coach of the 17U East Coast Fusion AAU basketball team.[14]
Media
Following his rise to fame, Jason McElwain wrote a book titled The Game of My Life.[15] The book is written mainly by Jason, but includes sections written by his family, coach, and teammates.[15] The Game of My Life is 243 pages long and was published on February 5, 2008, by New American Library.[15] Editorial reviews were left by celebrities such as Magic Johnson, Doug Flutie, Rodney Peete, Holly Robinson Peete, and Tony Dungy.[15] The book was co-written by Daniel Paisner.[15]
As soon as late February 2006, Jason McElwain and his family started receiving inquiries from over 25 film companies, including
Life after high school
McElwain completed his
In April 2016, the
McElwain is also an accomplished runner. On September 23, 2012, McElwain completed the MVP Health Care Rochester Marathon in 15th place in 3 hours, 1 minute and 41 seconds, a time that qualified him for the Boston Marathon.[20] In 2014, he completed the Boston Marathon in 2:57.05.[21]
References
- ^ Karabin, Jim (May 7, 2010), The Magic of J-Mac, retrieved February 2, 2022
- ^ "J-Mac scores 10 points for RazorSharks". Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ^ "J-Mac scores 10 points with Razorsharks". Rochester First. April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bush Visits Autistic Teen Hoop Star". CBS News. March 14, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ a b "The word in Greece: Disney among suitors". ESPN. June 14, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Autistic teen's 20-point night touches all". ESPN. February 24, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Jason McElwain continues to do great things". ESPN. July 21, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f "Autistic Teen's Hoop Dreams Come True". CBS News. February 23, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
- ^ a b "A School, A Team, A Dream". CBS News. March 2, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ a b Merrill, Elizabeth (February 15, 2016). "The game nobody could forget". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- The White House. March 14, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Year 'feels like a dream' to J-Mac". Democrat and Chronicle. February 11, 2007. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ "Live From Rochester: Wings Take Another". Scout.com. July 27, 2006. Archived from the original on May 23, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ Peden, Mike (April 24, 2011). "Holly Robinson Peete's autism "talk"". The Autistic Journalist. Retrieved 2011-11-04
- ^ ISBN 978-0451223012.
- ^ a b c "Autistic teen's story picked up by Columbia Pictures". ESPN. June 14, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
- ^ "Jason "J-Mac" McElwain: Autism, Basketball and Life Without Limits". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ^ Fox, Craig. "Four magical moments on a basketball court changes life of teen with autism". Watertown Daily Times. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "J-Mac scores 10 points for RazorSharks". democratandchronicle.com.
- ^ "Autistic hoops hero Jason McElwain finishes Rochester marathon, eyes Boston". CBS News.
- ^ "One-time HS hoop sensation Jason McElwain completes Boston Marathon". foxsports.com. April 21, 2014.
External links
- Bush Visits Autistic Teen Hoop Star (CBS News)
- Article and video (CBS - The Early Show)
- Full Video of Shots (MSNBC)
- The Word in Greece (ESPN article)
- Jason McElwain at IMDb
- Complete transcript of McElwain's conversation with President Bush