Jason McElwain

Persondata
NAME = Jason McElwain
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = J-Mac
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Autistic man, well-known for a high-scoring high school basketball game
DATE OF BIRTH = October 1, 1987
PLACE OF BIRTH = Greece, New York
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =

Jason McElwain (born October 1, 1987) is an autistic American man, nicknamed "J-Mac", who made national news when, after being the manager for Greece Athena High School's basketball team, he played four minutes during a game and scored twenty points.

McElwain was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and he did not talk until he was five years old. As a child, he had trouble interacting with other kids, but during his teenage years he began to develop social skills and make friends. McElwain had a passion for basketball, so Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson appointed him manager of the team.

On February 16, 2006, Greece Athena was playing Spencerport High School for a division title. Greece Athena got a large lead, so Johnson decided to let McElwain play in the last four minutes. After initially missing two shots, McElwain made six three-point shots and one two-pointer. After the final buzzer rang, the crowd dashed onto the court in celebration of McElwain's amazing game.

Early life

Born on October 1, 1987, to David and Debbie McElwain, Jason was diagnosed with autism at an early age, and didn't even begin to speak until the age of five.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2348397|title=The word in Greece: Disney among suitors|publisher=ESPN|date=2006-06-14|accessdate=2008-09-05] Jason and his family lived in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York. He had initially struggled when interacting with other children, but began to develop social skills as he grew older.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2343490|title=Autistic teen's 20-point night touches all|publisher=ESPN|date=2006-02-24|accessdate=2008-09-05] Although he was placed in special education classes, McElwain enjoyed basketball, which he was introduced to by his older brother Josh, and was appointed manager of Greece Athena High School's varsity basketball team. For the Greece Athena's 2005-2006 basketball season, the 17-year-old McElwain was a senior and slated to graduate in the spring.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/28/sportsline/main1356824.shtml|title=Hoops Hero Inspires Producers, Parents|publisher=CBS News|date=2006-02-28|accessdate=2008-09-07]

February 16, 2006 basketball game

Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to add McElwain to the roster for the team's February 16 game against Spencerport High School, so McElwain could be given a jersey and sit on the bench for the team's last home game of the season.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/earlyshow/main1339324.shtml|title=Autistic Teen's Hoop Dreams Come True|publisher=CBS News|date=2006-02-23|accessdate=2008-09-05] Although the game between Greece Athena and Spencerport was for a division title, Johnson planned to allow McElwain to play a few minutes if Greece Athena got a comfortable lead. With four minutes left in the game, Athena Greece had a double-digit lead, so Johnson decided let McElwain play out the last minutes of the game. When teammates first passed the ball to McElwain he attempted a three-point shot and missed. McElwain got a second chance to score with a lay-up which he also missed. McElwain then got on a "hot streak", making six three-pointers and one two-point shot, before the game ended. The final score was Greece Athena 79, Spencerport 43. As soon as the final buzzer rang, fans from the stands ran onto the court.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/02/eveningnews/main1364675.shtml|title=A School, A Team, A Dream|publisher=CBS News|date=2006-03-02|accessdate=2008-09-07]

Reaction

In his hometown of Greece, New York, McElwain quickly became a celebrity. The family's home phone was always ringing, and when the McElwains went out for a meal, a group of fans ran into the family, praising Jason.

McElwain met President George W. Bush on March 14, 2006, when Bush stopped by a nearby airport on his way to Canandaigua, New York, so he could meet McElwain.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/14/national/main1401115.shtml|title=Bush Visits Autistic Teen Hoop Star|publisher=CBS News|date=2006-03-14|accessdate=2008-09-07] Standing next to McElwain, Bush told reporters "As you can see, a special person has greeted us at the airport, Jason", and then jokingly asked "Can I call you J-Mac?" Bush went on to praise McElwain, saying "Our country was captivated by an amazing story on the basketball court. It's the story of a young man who found his touch on the basketball court, which, in turn, touched the hearts of citizens all around the country." Bush also claimed that upon seeing McElwain on television, he "wept, just like a lot of other people did".

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning visited Rochester, where he was introduced to McElwain. Manning invited McElwain and Steve Kerr, another Greece Athena High School athlete to the Colts' training camp for a week, which McElwain accepted. McElwain later said that Peyton was "one of the nicest guys in sports" and when the Colts won the Super Bowl and Manning raised the Lombardi Trophy, McElwain "had a tear in [his] eye."

McElwain threw out the opening pitch for the Rochester Red Wings' game against the Charlotte Knights.cite web|url=http://twins.scout.com/2/550237.html|title=Live From Rochester: Wings Take Another |publisher=Scout.com|date=2006-07-27|accessdate=2008-09-07] The Red Wings also gave away 3,500 free bobblehead dolls that were modeled after McElwain.

McElwain even won an ESPY Award for the Best Moment in Sports in 2006.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/080717|title=Jason McElwain continues to do great things|publisher=ESPN|date=2008-07-21|accessdate=2008-09-07] To win that award, McElwain beat out Kobe Bryant's 81-point-game and the George Mason Patriots' run to the Final Four. The speech that Jason gave upon winning the award was written for him by his older brother.cite web|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/SPORTS/702110340/1007/SPORTS|title=Year 'feels like a dream' to J-Mac|publisher=Democrat and Chronical|date=2007-02-11|accessdate=2008-09-07] The theme of the speech was about dreams coming true. In addition to the many celebrities McElwain met, he also appeared on various talk shows, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "Larry King Live", "Good Morning America", and "Today".

Book

Following his rise to fame, Jason McElwain wrote a book titled "The Game of My Life". The book is written mainly by Jason, but includeds sections written by his family, coach, and teammates. "The Game of My Life" is 256 pages long and was published on February 5, 2008 by New American Library.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Game-My-Life-Challenge-Autistic/dp/0451223012|title=The Game of My Life: A True Story Of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic (Hardcover)|publisher=Amazon.com|date=2008-02-05|accessdate=2008-09-07] Editorial reviews were left by celebrities such as Magic Johnson, Doug Flutie, Rodney Peete, Holly Robinson Peete, and Tony Dungy. The book was co-written by Daniel Paisner.

Film

As early as late February, Jason McElwain and his family started receiving inquiries from over twenty-five film companies, including The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., about making a film based on his story. In April, it was announced that Columbia Pictures had bought the rights to produce the film.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2412064|title=Autistic teen's story picked up by Columbia Pictures|publisher=ESPN|date=2006-06-14|accessdate=2008-09-07] Laura Ziskin, producer of the "Spider-Man" film series, was signed on to produce the film about McElwain's life. Magic Johnson and Mary Martin have also been attached as producers, while two-time Academy Award winner Alvin Sargent is in talks to write the film. However, there currently is no timetable for the movie as contracts are being finalized and the script is still being written.

Life after high school

McElwain is currently attempting to earn his GED, and has a part-time job at Wegmans Food Markets in Greece, New York. Occasionally, customers recognize him and ask for an autograph. McElwain also travels across the United States to help raise funds for autism research or to make another media appearance about his twenty-point game. With all the activity that is going on his life, Jason admitted that he hasn't been playing as much basketball, but says that, "Occasionally, I'll go and shoot baskets at the YMCA."

References

External links

* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/14/national/main1401115.shtml Bush Visits Autistic Teen Hoop Star (CBS News)]
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/earlyshow/main1339324.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories Article and video (CBS - The Early Show)]
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11526448/ Full Video of Shots (MSNBC)]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2348397 The Word in Greece (ESPN article)]
*imdb name|id=2331689|name=Jason McElwain
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060314.html Complete transcript of McElwain's conversation with President Bush]