A Superstar On and Off the Court

Photo by Beth Wynn

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

A Superstar On and Off the Court

OPPORTUNITY

By Sharon Oswald and Kelsey Waters

In the Southeastern Conference, student athletes are celebrities. The special level of talent these young men and women possess can sometimes make us forget that these superstars are students pursuing not just athletic dreams, but academic success as well. The spotlight, the roar of the crowd, the overnight superstardom can all be blinding, but Jordan Danberry understands her goals and will not let anything stand in her way.

Of all the books on the shelf in her grandfather’s house, Danberry chose a college algebra book to study. Now, this might not seem extraordinary, but she was in elementary school at the time! She started copying the problems, and by the sixth grade she had taught herself algebra.

“My mom’s sister is 10 years older than me,” Danberry recalls. “It was her book. If I was bored in the afternoon, I started copying the problems. I really love college algebra.”

The self-proclaimed math nerd from Conway, AR, with signature red hair puffs, plays wing guard on the SEC champion women’s basketball team at Mississippi State University. As a young child, her grandfather instilled in her that grades were important, and it did not hurt that granddad secretly slipped her dollar bills for making As. Danberry said she was a straight A student until she came down with a serious case of “senioritis” her last semester in high school.

Danberry’s basketball career began in kindergarten, playing Upward Basketball.

“I asked my mom for a basketball court for my fifth birthday, and she got it built for me!” exclaims Danberry.

As she got older, Danberry cultivated her competitive nature shooting hoops at the local Boys and Girls Club. Later, she went to a few basketball camps in Arkansas, including one in her hometown at the University of Central Arkansas. During her high school years, she started accumulating accolades. In 2014, she was named the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year, and by 2015 – her senior year – she was a five-star prospect out of Conway High School.

When the time came for college, Danberry signed with the University of Arkansas as a point guard. During her time as a Razorback, she started in 13 out of 30 games as a freshman and began making a name for herself at the collegiate level. In the fall of 2016, however, Danberry had a change of heart and made a very emotional request of then-head coach Jimmy Dykes. She wanted to be released from a somewhat flailing Arkansas team. She needed a change of scenery.

“A lot of players don’t get released,” she comments. “He could have restricted me, but he didn’t and let me go.”

Today she admits that making that request of Coach Dykes was one of the hardest things she has ever done – much tougher than playing in the NCAA Final Four. Upon being released, Danberry turned to her high school coach, Ashley Hutchcraft-Nance, for guidance. After a few phone calls, she was MSU bound. Hutchcraft-Nance was well known by Mississippi State coaches Johnnie Harris and Vic Schaefer. She too had been recruited by the coaching pair out of high school when they were on the staff at Arkansas, though Hutchcraft-Nance opted for Central Arkansas.

When Danberry arrived at Mississippi State in January 2017, the Lady Bulldogs were already six games into the season. She would be starting a new position – wing guard. Today, Danberry shares

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COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

that while she still talks to her former teammates, Arkansas just wasn’t right for her.

“My GPA wasn’t good, and I just didn’t want to go to class,” she says. “Things were too comfortable for me. I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Out of the state of Arkansas.”

At MSU, she found a second family in her coaches and teammates.

Danberry was nicknamed the "X-Factor" for her role in the Bulldogs' overtime defeat of Louisville that earned the team a berth in the 2018 NCAA Finals

Photo by Kelly Donoho/MSU Athletics

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Danberry was nicknamed the “X-Factor” for her role in the Bulldogs’ overtime defeat of Louisville that earned the team a berth in the 2018 NCAA Finals.

Photo by Kelly Donoho/MSU Athletics

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

“Coach Schaefer is intense, demanding, but eager to listen. He treats us like daughters and makes sure we stay out of trouble,” she observes.

Although the transfer would turn out to be a great decision for Danberry, leaving Arkansas was a huge step for her. With such a close-knit family, it was difficult for her to leave home. Her mom, Angela, works as a nurse, and her stepfather, Brian, is a computer specialist in the area. She has a six-year-old brother, BJ (Brian); a nine-year-old sister, Phoenyx, and a beloved grandfather who lives right next door. Aunts, uncles and several cousins live nearby. She also has an older brother, Shaun, and two younger sisters, Asia and Trinity, who live in McCrory, AR, with her dad. All of this family was hard to leave behind, but their love and support gave Danberry the courage she needed to chase a dream all the way to Mississippi.

Family gatherings in Conway are cherished times for her and, as she says, “We always eat good!”

When asked about her favorite memories, they always have to do with family. Thanksgiving, in particular, is high on her list. The family convenes at her uncle’s house, about 30 in all, where they barbecue and have fun outdoors. Her toughest life memory also has to do with family. Danberry lost her grandmother when she was just 10 years old.

“My grandmother was a big part of raising me,” she says. “It was hard for all of us, but my family is so close, we just all stuck together to get through it.”

Her family members, particularly BJ and Phoenyx, are her biggest fans today. They love to cheer on the Lady Bulldogs, and Danberry’s time at the Final Four seems to have taken their enthusiasm up a notch. Danberry catapulted to the national limelight during the NCAA semi-finals game against Louisville earlier this year. Nicknamed the “X-Factor” by sports reporters, it was her two steals in overtime that eventually sealed the game for the Lady Bulldogs.

DIVIDENDS | FALL 2018

FALL 2018 | DIVIDENDS

OPPORTUNITY

But her superstardom is not limited to the court. Danberry was honored by the NCAA with the Elite 90 Award, given to the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among peers.

The course load of a student athlete looks different than of most other students. With strong communication and the support of faculty, Danberry and the other Lady Bulldogs are able to develop schedules that help them balance academic and athletic commitments.

Danberry maintains a very high GPA in one of the toughest curriculums in the College of Business: economics, a major where her prowess in mathematics really pays off. Her econometrics professor, Dr. Randy Campbell, speaks very highly of her.

“She is a good student,” he states. “I always like the students who are willing to work hard, and I don’t think most other students realize how much time athletes have to devote to their sport. She is definitely someone I would strongly recommend to employers.”

Danberry particularly likes Campbell’s class because “every example is about basketball!”

Another of her favorite teachers is Dr. Sandra Orozco-Aleman, because “she is so energetic and passionate about labor economics.”

Of all her classes, Danberry ranks intermediate micro economics as her very favorite – another course that she took from Orozco-Aleman. Danberry’s academic achievements have not gone unnoticed by her teammates. It is not unusual to find her tutoring them – especially when algebra is the subject!

In her spare time, she is somewhat of a crime show junkie. All of the “Law and Order” shows, like “Criminal Intent,” and so many more keep her interests piqued.

“I like finding clues and figuring out problems,” she says. “I love to do the crossword puzzles. My teammates make fun of me because they think crosswords are for old people! When I read, it is only mystery books. I really want to be a detective.”

She has set her post-collegiate sights on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a plan she has had since meeting an FBI agent while in high school. She expects to finish her BA in Economics in December and hopes to continue into the MBA program.

Although Danberry likes to stay busy, she enjoys playing video games, hanging out with her teammates and most of all spending time at the dog park with her pets Kane, a blue pit bull, and Bella, a lab-beagle mix.

One thing is for certain: she has not regretted her decision to come to Mississippi State University. She loved spending time with the other teams while at the Final Four in Columbus, OH.

“We all started line dancing and having fun with one another,” she shares.

She also enjoys the fan interaction after every game, and she particularly likes the spotlight! As for her future predictions for the Lady Bulldogs, she states, “We are going to win it all next year!” And there is no doubt her family will be around to cheer her on.

Danberry is truly a role model for young, aspiring female athletes.

When asked what advice she has for young women, she replies, “Make sure you make good grades. You can’t get into college without good grades. Dream big, and go after those dreams because your dreams could turn into reality.”

And isn’t Danberry a prime example of her own advice.

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COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY