Edgerrin James back in Indiana rooting for his son Jizzle in Cincinnati's NIT loss to ISU.
TERRE HAUTE — Former Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James spent the first seven years of his Hall of Fame career in Indiana where he developed into one of the best ballcarriers in football.
Edgerrin was back in Indiana on Tuesday with his son, Jizzle James, leading Cincinnati to the NIT quarterfinals against Indiana State. When it comes to his son, a freshman guard for the Bearcats, the elder James wants his son to create his own path.
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"He loves the game and it's kind of helped him create his own identity," Edgerrin said of Jizzle. "He doesn't have to follow his father's path and be a football player."
Born Edgerrin James Jr., Jizzle is his alter ego, a moniker he earned on the court where he flips from a laid-back college kid to an intense competitor. At 6-1, 195, the younger James is built like an NFL defensive back. But at 3 years old, Jizzle's late-mother Andia Wilson, sent Edgerrin a video of Jizzle taking and making jump shots. At that point, Edgerrin knew Jizzle's future would be on the hardwood and not the gridiron. In choosing basketball, Jizzle has his chance to pursue the hoop dreams that his father wasn't able to.
"l always wanted to be a basketball player, but he gravitated to it," Edgerrin said. "He just took it and ran with it. He has a passion for it, so it was one of those things where the thing that I wanted to do wasn't something he wanted to do, and we can get behind him."
Jizzle ended his first year in the NCAA with a bang, scoring a career-high 25 points in his first career start during Cincy's NIT second-round win over Bradley. James followed the career-high with his second-best scoring figure, going for 21 points in a loss to ISU.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Edgerrin James back in Indiana to watch son Jizzle in Cincinnati's NIT
