Meet The Jehovah's Witness Turned Seven-Foot College Hoops Mystery

Meet The Jehovah's Witness Turned Seven-Foot College Hoops Mystery

by Andrew Sharp • Nov 10, 2011 12:43 PM EST

Dewayne Dedmon grew up a Jehovah's Witness in Southern California, forbidden by his mother from ever playing organized sports. He got big, though—6'8 as an 18 year-old, 7 feet now—and he got restless, and eventually he found a basketball court. The rest is history.

After learning the game in junior college, Dedmon's at USC now, and nobody really knows what to expect next. His mother is already worried.

She knows Dewayne might be drafted into the NBA ... "It would be kind of difficult, because you can't serve two masters," she says. "He would probably have to make a decision within himself. He thought he could do both, but obviously you can't."

Meanwhile, USC is elated at the possibilities. And whatever happens from here, it's already a great story. Sports have been awful this week, yes, but you won't read a better story today than Chris Ballard's look at Dewayne Dedmon's journey to college hoops. Take 10 minutes, check it out, and remember that sports can still be pretty cool sometimes.