Underdog

FRESNO, Calif –Being six foot six inches tall makes Jerrod Patton a good height to play basketball, but the amount of time he puts into the sport speaks for itself. Patton transferred to Fresno State and tried out for the men’s basketball team.

“For awhile, they saw how I played and that I am a bigger guy, and they ended up picking me up,” Patton says.

He played basketball for Fresno State for one season. He says he wanted this his whole life and worked hard to be able to play college ball. But after that one season, Patton says he realized he had a different goal–graphic design.

“I took notice in the fact that I can be creative on the computer, too, and I have always been good at technical stuff, so I was like let me give this a shot.”

And that is exactly what Patton did. He does not play basketball for Fresno State anymore and focuses his time on graphic design.

Patton’s dad Gary Patton says he is so proud of his son.

“He’s been a fighter. He fought for himself the whole time now as the oldest son and having younger brothers I see how they look up to him,” Gary Patton says. “They have high regard for him and I look up to him, and I say ‘boy that is silent strength in action.'”

Justin Patton is two years younger than Jerrod and says he’s proud of his older brother.

“I feel like he came around full circle and found something that he is truly passionate about and good at,” Justin Patton says. “And to be honest, on a regular basis I see him doing more than what’s required of him.”

Now Jerrod Patton spends most of his time working on graphic design and receiving support from his family.