Don't be like Mike: The maturation of Jeff Jordan

June 29, 10:49 AMCollege Sports ExaminerJacob Osterhout

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Jeff steps out from his father's shadow.

At a time when many former college hoops players are being rewarded with lucrative contracts for putting basketball over academics, Jeff Jordan, is taking a different approach.

The oldest son of one of the greatest basketball players ever has dropped off the Illinois basketball team to concentrate on his academics.

Make no mistake about it, Jordan certainly didn't inherit his father's other-worldly basketball skills. As a freshman walk-on, he played only 5.3 minutes per game, averaging a single point.

But MJ's son did inherit his father's work ethic. "He brought great work ethic to the gym and pushed himself, as well as his teammates, each and every day to improve," said Illinois coach Bruce Weber.

In his sophomore year, Jordan nearly doubled his playing time, and even earned himself a scholarship. Expectations were high for the guard entering his junior season. He would help take over the defensive responsibilities on the perimeter of Chester Frazier, who graduated in the Spring.

But Jeff Jordan was done following in his father's footsteps. It can't be easy being the son of a man who redefined the game of basketball. The pressure to be like Mike. The constant comparisons. The expectations. Here's a 20-year-old who probably just wants to be himself, not his father.

So Jeff did what his father never attempted. He quit the basketball team.

"I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here," Jordan said. "But I have come to the point where I'm ready to focus on life after basketball. I will concentrate on earning my degree from the University of Illinois and the opportunities that await upon graduating."

For college athletes, especially college basketball players at top-tier programs, thinking about life after basketball is almost an impossibility. Talk to most college hoops players, whether they go to Florida or Florida A&M, and they'll tell you that their dream is to play in the NBA, regardless of the odds.

I'm sure that a young Jeff Jordan dreamed that he'd grow up to be an NBA star just like his father, but something happened along the way. Call it an education. Jeff gained perspective. He realized that if he was going to leave his mark on this world, he'd have to do it HIS way, which would require him to step out of the shadow of his father and do his own thing. Instead of hitting the gym, he'd needed to be hitting the books.

That's not an easy decision for Michael Jordan's son to make, especially when everything seemed to be progressing smoothly on the basketball court. It's easy to walk away when things are going poorly, but It takes an incredible amount of self-awareness to leave on a high note. (Even MJ, who finished his playing days as a chubby has-been for the Washington Wizards, couldn't accomplish this in his basketball career.)

So here's to Jeff Jordan, a former basketball player, current college student, and, least importantly, Michael Jordan's son.