Catching up with J-Mac two decades after a miracle | On Sports

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Saturday marked the 19^th anniversary of perhaps the most remarkable moment in Rochester sports history – a moment when a student manager diagnosed with autism suited up and scored 20 points in the one and only game of his varsity basketball career. The video of that unforgettable performance by Jason “J-Mac” McElwain went viral.  His shots truly were heard – and seen – ’round the world.

Time flies and the teenager is now a 36-year-old man. But, all these years later, J-Mac’s story still resonates powerfully; still inspires. As we say in the news business, it has legs. Hopefully, it always will.

“The reaction to it continues to be great,’’ J-Mac said, during a recent break from his job as a bus attendant for the Greece School District, where he assists kids with special needs. “Nobody ever dreamed something like that could happen. It blew up out of proportion – in a good way.”

It was a life-changing event for both J-Mac and Jim Johnson, the kind-hearted Greece Athena coach who wanted to thank his manager’s longtime dedication to the school’s hoops program by giving him some playing time in the final four minutes of a late-season game. “I was praying he would make at least one basket,’’ Johnson recalled the other day. “And after he missed his first few shots, I was praying even harder and hoping that I hadn’t put him in a position to fail.”

He hadn’t. Johnson’s prayers were answered, and then some, as J-Mac, in his own words, “became hotter than a pistol.”

Twenty points later, he was being hoisted on teammates’ shoulders and surrounded by scores of students who flooded the court to join the celebration. “I’ve had a lot of neat experiences,’’ said Johnson, who guided Athena to 428 victories and six Section Five championships during his three decades at the suburban Rochester school. “But that night was the greatest night of my coaching career. It touched my heart so deeply.”

He was not alone. Others were moved deeply, too, as “J-Mac Mania” spread through the country and the world like a fast-break. He became a young man in demand, meeting the likes of President George W. Bush and scores of big-name sports celebrities, such as Kobe Bryant, Petyon Manning and Magic Johnson. He also appeared on numerous national talk shows, including ones hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Larry King. He wound up winning an ESPY Award in the “Best Sports Moment” category, beating out Bryant’s 81-point NBA game. Seemingly overnight, the teenager had become an international sensation, and would use his new-found celebrity to advocate for people  with autism and other challenges. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but God had a plan for me that night,’’ said J-Mac, a devout Christian. “It became about something much bigger than just me. It really was a blessing. Still is.”

The ripple effect was extraordinary as other coaches and athletes have followed J-Mac and Coach Johnson’s lead. Lessons were learned. Stereotypes were shattered. Opportunities multiplied. Dreams came true.

“I think people’s perceptions about autism changed; I know mine did,’’ said Johnson, who’s become a highly sought-after motivational speaker. “We’ve learned that people with autism and other special needs can have great success like everyone else. Now, not everybody’s ultimate dream is going to come true the way that Jason’s did, but you can still do a lot more than you think you can do. I think that’s one of the lessons I’ve learned from Jason. He continues to do many more things than people thought he would be able to do.”

Basketball wound up being a driving force for J-Mac, and after his student days at Athena were over, he spent eight years at his alma mater as an assistant coach, helping Johnson and the Trojans win several more sectional titles. “My relationship with Coach Johnson is special,’’ he said. “He’s been like a second dad to me. He’s always believed in me.”

In addition to Athena, J-Mac has coached at Northstar Christian Academy, Hilton, Spencerport, and Nazareth University, and also has worked with individual players at Hoops Strength, a basketball training facility in Henrietta. Before starting his job with the Greece School transportation department five years ago, J-Mac worked at Wegmans for 15 years. Over time, he continued to make significant strides as an athlete, albeit in a different sport. An avid distance runner, J-Mac began training for marathons, and wound up qualifying for the 2014 Boston Marathon, which he completed in under three hours.

He would call upon the perseverance lessons learned from marathon running three years ago after he broke nine ribs and his clavicle, and punctured a lung when his electric bike collided with an automobile on his way to work. Fortunately, J-Mac recovered from those near-fatal injuries and discovered new dreams to pursue. While hospitalized, he launched his podcast – The J-Mac Show – which focuses on local college basketball programs. He’s proud of that achievement, as well as the achievement of earning his driver’s license – which means he can now travel to and from his various ventures in his car.

Last Friday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum announced the release of two limited edition bobbleheads commemorating the anniversary of his history-making night. He is shown wearing his signature white head band and a basketball jersey with his No. 52 and “J-MAC” across his chest. In one of the bobbleheads, he’s following through on a shot. In the other, he’s depicted lifted into the air by two teammates. (They are available individually or as a combo deal at the museum’s website: bobbleheadhall.com). Interestingly, the Rochester Red Wings also gave away bobbleheads of J-Mac before a game in the summer of 2006, though that bobblehead portrayed him in his student manager garb: black pants, white shirt, and tie.

The new bobblehead release is a reminder that J-Mac’s story still has legs; still is touching souls nearly two decades later.

Best-selling author and nationally honored journalist Scott Pitoniak is the Rochester Business Journal sports columnist.