‘The dad on the team’: Weisbrod’s team grows, like his game, with birth of second son
Published 8:33 pm Thursday, December 14, 2017
BEAUMONT — Colton Weisbrod had just wrapped up a 13-point, four-rebound game as Lamar defeated Arlington Baptist College 126-75.
That was last Dec. 21, his 21st birthday. His jersey number is also 21.
Still, by his own admission, his emotions were “all over the place.” Shortly after Lamar’s public address announcer asked the crowd to remain in the Montagne Center for a “special presentation,” Weisbrod took center court.
The former 4A player of the year from Nederland proposed to Allison Jacks, Texas’ all-time high school leader in three-point baskets made from Lumberton. The couple, who has a 2-year-old son, began college together at the University of New Orleans in the fall of 2014.
Fast-forward almost a whole year, and Team Weisbrod has grown by one. Ash Benjamin Weisbrod came into the world at 9:07 p.m. Dec. 8, weighing 9.6 pounds and measuring 21 inches.
“I missed the practice the day before our last game because we were at the hospital from 6 a.m. all the way to nighttime,” Colton Weisbrod said.
The next night in Beaumont, the 6-foot-5 senior forward played 25 minutes and scored 17 points, grabbed three rebounds (four offensive) and made three assists in a 112-56 win over Howard Payne.
“I have something that’s pushing me and driving me, but if nothing else, I’m doing this for my family,” Weisbrod said. “Obviously, the team, the people and the coaches at Lamar, they’re pushing me from behind. They’re on my side.”
His teammates, Lamar junior guard Nick Garth said, look up to the young man who’s more than a father of two and soon-to-be husband.
“He’s a special player, special person,” he said. “We look up to him as a whole team. He’s the dad on the team. Whatever he says, whatever he does, we follow. It’s a big role he plays, and he plays it well.”
‘FATHER FIRST’
Weisbrod isn’t the first father to play under Tic Price, the well-traveled head coach now in his fourth full season at Lamar.
“I’ve coached one other kid who’s had a couple kids, but it’s all about maturity and being able to manage your time, knowing what your priorities are, and he’s been able to do a good job of making sure he takes care of the basketball side, the academic side and his family,” said Price, who commented after the Arlington Baptist game he was unaware Weisbrod would propose. “I just think he’s a special individual. Not everybody can do that, but he’s been able to handle that very well.”
In a “strength in numbers” world, Weisbrod’s strength and productivity are reflected in his numbers. He guides the Cardinals (8-1) with team-highs of 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, having achieved double-doubles against Tulsa and Jarvis Christian this season.
“He’s got a good feel for the game, good footwork, good hands,” Price said. “He’s been undersized pretty much since he’s been playing. He’s used to playing guys that maybe are bigger. But because he’s so fundamentally sound, now he’s been able to add a 15-foot jump shot to his arsenal of things he can do offensively. And he’s got people around him who are pretty good.”
Like Garth, who scores 12.3 points and 2.9 assists per game.
Weisbrod has taken his scoring ability beyond the 19-foot-9 three-point line. A 1-for-6 long-distance shooter as a junior, Weisbrod has made 5 for 13 through nine games.
“I think anybody you talk to would tell you I need to keep improving on my outside game, polish the inside but work on my outside game,” Weisbrod said. “I think, for the most part, I’ve done that in the offseason, and I’m growing into myself, still, as a player.”
THE VOYAGE HOME
Weisbrod, who has yet to set a wedding date with Jacks, has also grown as a family man.
The two transferred from New Orleans, where he averaged 7 points and 3 rebounds as a freshman and she redshirted, so they could raise their firstborn Wake close to home. Wake was born shortly after the season.
Weisbrod continued his career at Lamar State College Port Arthur, where he helped the Seahawks win the Region XIV South Zone championship and earned NJCAA All-American honors. He then transferred to Lamar University and made first-team All-Southland Conference last season after scoring 30-plus points twice, totaling 10 double-doubles and scoring 15.1 points per game.
Weisbrod, who raises his family with Jacks in a Nederland apartment, juggles the roles of father, student and athlete.
“Some days are tough,” he said. “Some days are going to be better than others. Some days, you’re going to come in here and practice, and you’ve had a long night with the kids and the fiancée. Sometimes you might be tired, you might be exhausted. But you’ve got to push through those days, and finding time to nap is probably to one of my biggest keys to my day because I do have long nights with the family. Gotta try to fit those in.”
Eighteen years from now, Weisbrod and Jacks could be parents of two college hoopers. The young father even proclaimed Ash on Twitter as Michael Jordan Jr. and Wake as Larry Bird Jr.
Then again, they could play an entirely different sport.
“Whatever they choose to do, I’m going to be right there for them,” Weisbrod said. “When I was growing up, I was big into baseball. My family was all big into football, so basketball was kind of the outlier for me and my family. It’s different for me to end up being a successful basketball player. I’m not sure where the road takes them.”
The newest Weisbrods, however, already carry cool names.
“It’s just kind of like when me and my fiancée came up with the name Wake, we kind of bounced some names off each other and it clicked,” Colton said.
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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews