(Courtesy of Scott Smith, Senior Correspondent, Gwinett Daily Post)
NORCROSS ? When Jennifer Gardner was playing basketball at Norcross High School from 1997 to 2001, she was one of the most talented players in Gwinnett.
As a senior she led the county in scoring (21.6 average) and rebounding (15.9), earning Gwinnett County Player of the Year honors.
Her hard-nosed style of play inspired the nickname Baby Shaq (after NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal), and as one of the county’s best players she was frequently looked upon as the enforcer on the court. Although her basketball playing days are largely behind her, Gardner’s path has taken her to a new kind of enforcement.
In March of this year, the Norcross police department hired Gardner as one of its new recruits, bringing the Georgia native back home.
“I grew up in this area and felt it would be a great place to start,” Gardner said. “I have always been interested in the law.
“I know I can’t save the world, but I feel I can make a difference. I like being in a position where I can make an influence on young people, not just going to a car (at a traffic stop) for something negative but getting to them before something negative can happen.”
Gardner’s path back to Norcross began in the fall of 2001 when her basketball talents took her to Western Carolina University. Gardner played for four years there, averaging 11.5 points and grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game.
During her time at Western Carolina, two things happened that played a huge role in leading her home. One was that she majored in criminal justice, compiling a 3.34 grade-point average.
The other occurred during what was the game of her life. In her senior season, Western Carolina reached the finals of the Southern Conference tournament and played Georgia Southern in the championship game.
Gardner set a conference record in a championship game, scoring 45 points as her team outlasted the Eagles 97-95 in double overtime to claim the school’s first tournament championship and a berth against Tennessee in the NCAA tournament.
“Individually, it was the highlight of my career,” said Gardner, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. “But what really mattered was that we had two more points than Georgia Southern and my team had a championship.”
With her strong play, Gardner practically rewrote the Southern Conference tournament record book. She set new tournament records for points (106), rebounds (43), field goals (33), free throws attempted (46) and free throws made (37).
What made Gardner’s 45-point outburst even more remarkable was that she suffered a tear of her labrum in her left shoulder. Although she managed to finish the season, the injury required surgery, temporarily putting her basketball career on pause.
“If I hadn’t hurt my shoulder, I would probably be overseas playing professional ball right now,” Gardner said. “My injury held me back as far as getting out of shape and going through therapy and rehab. That’s a tough thing to go through.”
Though the injury put her basketball career on hold, basketball wasn’t the only thing she was trained to do. She still had her college degree and wasted no time putting it to use. After being medically cleared in December 2005, Gardner started applying for jobs and almost immediately found one in her own backyard.
Gardner’s return to Norcross was good news not just for her but also for others from her past, like her former head coach, Mike Lee.
“We were all so excited for her because we knew she was pursuing her degree,” said Lee, who is still at Norcross as the girls head coach.
“She’s a wonderful role model to have in the community and the school. We loved her for her basketball skills but we’re most proud of her for graduating with that degree. We admire her for how she’s blossomed into a young woman.”
Lee recognized Gardner’s work ethic when Gardner earned a spot on the varsity team as a freshman and Lee knew Gardner would become one of the top players around.
He was particularly impressed by her efforts in the region finals against South Gwinnett. Gardner battled so hard in helping her team rally that she nearly collapsed in the locker room from dehydration.
But those events occurred long ago and Gardner is now focused on her current path. The shoulder injury, her degree and the influence of Chuck McCallum, the student resources officer at Norcross High School, have worked together to put her in a Norcross Police uniform.
Another person responsible for bringing her home is Norcross Police Chief Dallas Stidd. Stidd, a 19-year veteran of the force, was already familiar with Gardner’s name when he first heard she was looking for a job. Like many others, he knew her from her days on the court.
“When she was playing basketball, I was doing security at the school and I was impressed with her then,” Stidd said. “(Chuck) McCallum called me and said she was looking for a job and I knew who he was talking about. I was impressed with her then, but when I interviewed her I was even more impressed.
“One of the factors you look for is having the respect of the other officers. That’s something that is earned and not given. If you have that, then you know you have a good officer.”
Since coming to the force, Gardner has gone through academy training and is now a full-time officer. Though she has only been on patrol by herself for just a little more than six weeks, she uses her experience on the court to help her get along.
“I relate law enforcement to playing basketball because that’s what is easiest for me,” Gardner said. “The chief is your head coach and you have your assistant coaches. Just like in basketball, you have your steps and you have to practice.
“There’s so much to learn in law enforcement and you never stop learning. If you do, it’s time to hang it up. If you make a mistake in basketball, it’s OK because it’s just a game, but a mistake in law enforcement can cost you a lot more.”