by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
Shaq has agreed to help Jordan Wilmore after the police cadet failed an exam by one point
Shaquille O’Neal, recently announced as the new Chief of Community Relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in North Georgia, has offered to sponsor the career aspirations of a former basketball player who wants to become a police officer.
According to CBS News, Jordan Wilmore, a Memphis native, successfully completed the police academy but failed his exam by one point. Wilmore, who is 7-foot-3-inches, played college ball at Missouri, Northwestern State, and Austin Peay State University before playing professionally overseas, most recently in the Philippines.
Wilmore will attend another police academy, with Shaq providing financial support. Wilmore is seeking a career with the Kemah (Texas) Police Department.
“I found out about him through jealousy,” O’Neal, who stands at 7’1″, told CBS News. “I thought I was the tallest, handsomest cop in the world.”
Shaq’s love for law enforcement is well-documented, and he has worked with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for nearly five years. “It’s commendable that a kid wants to be an officer. I love cops,” the basketball legend and Inside the NBA stalwart said.
Wilmore admitted that he wanted to become a police officer, but was encouraged to pursue basketball because he was so tall.
“It was hard for me to share, like, my dreams or, you know, the stuff I wanted to do growing up because it was, ‘Well, you just got to focus on basketball because it can make you millions,’” Wilmore told CBS News in September.
Shaq added some words of encouragement for Wilmore. “I wanted to just let him know, he has my full support. I’m going to be on you, brother, make sure you’re getting it done,” the Hall of Fame big man said.
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Source: Black Enterprise
