21 Talks with Andre Jones, European Basketball Professional

On this segment of 21, you’ll meet Andre Jones.

Andre is a basketball star who hails from Suffolk, Virginia, which is a part of the Hampton Roads area. (For the sports buffs, Hampton Roads has been the source of top athletic talent, including Allen Iverson and Michael Vick, for starters.)

Andre epitomizes the pro athlete whose path was not what he thought it would be, but the trials he went through make him so much more appreciative of the success he currently experiences.

Andre was a star basketball player at Nansemond River High School. He was highly recruited by well-known colleges until he was sidelined by an injury. Once the dust settled and he healed from his injury, the big-name schools were no longer vying for him. He decided to attend Winthrop University where he soon learned that he was not the big fish in the smaller pond. And while he excelled at Winthrop, he also gained an appreciation for the tremendous talent of other basketball players who may not have had the same name recognition in high school.

When Andre graduated from college, he did not immediately go into the pros as he had always dreamed. Before receiving the opportunity to play professionally, Andre worked for a non-profit organization whose work centered around children. What may have seemed like a dream deferred, was really Andre’s training ground for lessons of humility and gratitude.

Today, Andre enjoys a career and personal life that he never imagined. As we settled in our recording with Andre, he shared with us how wonderfully humbling it is for him to travel places, and people recognize him and want to meet him. And for the #boymoms listening to this podcast, Andre shares how he wished he would have waited a little later in life before making dating a priority. Such powerful advice our young sons need to hear today!!!

As you listen to this podcast, we are sure you will agree that Andre’s greatest life chapters are still ahead of him....and we look forward to seeing all that he has yet to accomplish. We thank Andre for his candor, authenticity, and transparency. Everyone will be able to relate to some part of his journey.