Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A passion project that was decades in the making came to fruition last fall with the release of “Jerome Kersey: Overcoming the Odds”, a biography detailing the life of the Longwood and Portland Trailblazers great by sports journalist Kerry Eggers.

Sales from the biography, which came about thanks to a team effort from Longwood alum Rohn Brown, longtime legendary Longwood Sports Information Director Hoke Currie and his wife Nancy, author Kerry Eggers and Virginia Based publisher Wayne Dementi among others, were earmarked for Longwood’s Jerome Kersey ’84 Men’s Basketball Scholarship Fund.

After the first quarter of book sales, the Currie’s have donated $7,146.74, representing the proceeds to that point, to the scholarship which provides annual support to a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team who embodies the spirit and drive of Jerome Kersey.

“It is our pleasure to fund the book about Jerome Kersey: Overcoming The Odds,” said Hoke Currie. “The fact that the $7,000 will support the JK Scholarship Fund is an added bonus. Nancy and I want people to remember Jerome and all the good things he stood for.”

The book highlights Kersey’s career and his unique path to the NBA after humble beginnings in Virginia. Eggers, the author, spoke with a variety of Kersey’s teammates both in the NBA and from his time at Longwood, including teammates Kenny Ford ’82, Lonnie Lewis ’86, Mitch Walker ’84 and longtime friend Kevin Brandon ’82.

The scholarship was created in 2016 by Kevin and Rhonda Brandon to honor Kersey’s legacy at Longwood, and the endowment has grown since its inception with this gift providing the final push to $100,000.

“Thanks to the generous contributions of Kevin, ’82, and Rhonda Brandon and many other alumni and friends of Jerome, contributions from the sale of Overcoming the Odds helped the Jerome Kersey ’84 Men’s Basketball Scholarship fund surpass $100,000 in endowed funds as of early May,” said Trey Eggleston, Associate Senior Director of Leadership Giving at Longwood. “This will have a tremendous impact for future student-athletes and ensure the legacy of Jerome continues to shine here for generations of Lancers to come.”

To make a gift to the Jerome Kersey Scholarship, visit: https://give.longwood.edu/kersey.

To purchase a copy of the book, visit http://www.dementibooks.com/.