Weber comments further on Jordan scholarship
Last week’s story about Jeff Jordan being awarded a scholarship for the spring semester drew numerous e-mails and comments questioning why Illinois would give scholarship money to a player whose family is not in financial need. Jordan, of course, is the son of Michael Jordan.
This e-mail reflected some of the feelings:
“Why does it matter that Jordan has a bball scholarship? Why not give some to a player who needs the money? Anyway, it just seems like a silly financial decision …”
I asked Weber about the situation this morning on his media conference call. Here is what he said about people questioning the decision:
“When they came here I didn’t promise anything,” he said of the Jordans. “It wasn’t really brought up. It’s pretty obvious, and I joke with Jeff, it’s not that his parents can’t afford school, but he’s earned it and it makes you feel more a part (of the team). There is a stigma to being a walk-on, and we felt it might be a nice lift for Jeff to feel part of it.
“There are little things like going to the training table and you have to pay because you’re not on scholarship. You feel like the stepbrother in the family or a second cousin. He’s very deserving. He’s done everything we’ve asked, and I think he’s made progress as a player and a quiet leader off the court. So I felt he deserved it. I guess it was a nice confidence builder for him.”
Weber added that the scholarship is only for this spring but there might be a scholarship available next fall as well for Jordan.
Likewise, why should he be restricted from earning a scholarship because of his name. He should be judged by the merits of his work ethic, character, and contributions to the team, not because his parents are wealthy. I applaud Coach Weber for applying the same criteria to Jeff Jordan as he would to any other player in the same position. I would venture to guess that somewhere down the line the Jordans will be gifting the program in other ways.
This is a young man who works his rear off and does everything that is asked of him. You don’t hear stories about MJ interfering or otherwise bothering the team. This is an individual thing. It shouldn’t matter who his parents are. It was something earned by Jeff, and he deserves it.
Jeff is a kid who played significant minutes as a true freshman and is quickly developing a rep as a quality defender in the Big Ten. He has earned the scholarship. Athletic scholarships are not, and should not be, based on need, but on the athletic ability in the particular sport of the scholarship recipient. Go Illini!
Jeff came to the university on a partial academic scholarship, also. It would be very easy for him to skate through life on his name alone, so he should be commended for creating his own identity. Hard work in the classroom and on the court should be rewarded regardless of your last name.
I couldn’t imagine the pressure that this young man feels playing with the weight of being the arguably greatest ever’s oldest son. You can see his passion for the game and drive to improve when he’s on the court. He’s also one of the first one’s off the bench to congratulate a teammate. You can see that he loves being a part of the Illinois program, and the fans are grateful for his contributions.
again, who cares about this? Illinois SUCKS.
jjdoublej - you’re a fag. the illini handed the tigers their asses. i can only assume such a moronic, drive-by shot about the illini would come from a tiger fan.
illini fans love jeff because he’s a total effort guy. he’s struggling against playing in his dad’s shadow. he clearly doesn’t have a fraction of his dad’s game, but courageously gets out on the floor and gives maximum effort. if mike davis and demetri mccamey gave jordan’s effort every night, they could be nba studs.
oooh…touched a nerve there EddieO. And no…I am a Michigan fan
Hey EddieO,
Did you happen to see that impressive Illinois game last night. Woo hoo!
IMHO
Nike or one of Jordan’s other business interests is privately funding an academic scholarship.