An athletic wing player, who is a relentless rebounder and hard-working defender.
Growing up in the Caribbean, community was always important to Gumbs. Upon moving to the United States to complete his high school education, he learned the process of being a nationally-recognized college basketball recruit.
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"Bill Hogan, the Athletic Director for USF at the time, knew my mentor Cyril because they had gone to school together," said Gumbs. USF was lasered focused on recruiting Gumbs and started putting feelers out through the first few weeks of the school year.
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"They started recruiting me before I even touched a basketball in Kentucky and they came to my high school five times," said Gumbs. "They wanted me to come to USF before they even saw me play." While in high school in Kentucky, Gumbs bonded with one of the most important mentors in his life to this day – coach John Tinsley. Advocating on behalf of Gumbs, Tinsley helped the Saint Thomas native became the first student-athlete to make the Kentucky All-Star team that was not originally from the state as he finished top four in the state in rebounding and top ten in scoring.
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As universities from around the country became familiar with Gumbs and his game, San Francisco continued to stand out from the rest. After flying to Saint Thomas to meet with Ann while Gumbs was at Cincinnati on his recruiting trip, Phil Matthews, head coach of the Dons at the time, got Gumbs to commit to the green and gold. "It was the relationships that they created that made me feel comfortable coming here," said Gumbs.
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At the time of Gumbs' arrival on the Hilltop, the Reverend Stephen Arena Privett, S.J. was President of the University. Upon learning of Gumbs' background, Privett told Gumbs that he was the first student from the Virgin Islands to attend the university. "I took a lot of pride in that," said Gumbs. "It made me feel honored and humbled to be the first student from the Virgin Islands to attend the university."
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Once he stepped foot in War Memorial Gym, Gumbs knew he had made the right decision. Playing in 116 total games for the Dons and starting 73 of them, Gumbs went on to win the Arthur C. Zief Jr. Award his sophomore and junior years, which was awarded annually to the team's most inspirational player. Additionally, he was also selected for the Bob Giron Coaches Award his sophomore year, which honored the student-athlete who consistently gave forth the best effort.
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"It was a great opportunity for me to become a more holistic player, which paid dividends after my career," said Gumbs.
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Fast forward past his professional playing career, Gumbs has made it his mission to use what he learned from his mom and USF to give back to the community he loves. Founded in 2013, EMA is a 501c3 nonprofit social enterprise that aims to unlock the leadership potential of children from all backgrounds, inspiring them to achieve greatness in sports and life. Through its safe haven and mindfulness-promoting programs, EMA serves as a catalyst for positive transformation in the community and society. By uplifting young people to reach for their dreams, EMA is making a meaningful impact on the world.
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"The reason I got into working with children is because I believe your foundational upbringing is what shapes you," said Gumbs. "My mom raised us on one ideology that was very important - to love people - regardless of where they are from, regardless of their demographics, regardless of the neighborhoods they grew up in. The purpose of life is to be of service to others (USFAthletics)."
Jerome Gumbs was born on April 04, 1982 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. His height is 6' 4". He is a shooting guard / small forward who most recently played for Cheshire Phoenix in Super League Basketball.
JUNIOR: USF's third leading scorer (tops among returnees) with 9.4 points per contest...scored a career high 27 points vs. Portland on Jan. 22...the Dons were 9-3 in games that he scored in double figures...started the season strong until suffering an ankle injury on January 26th, averaging 11.1 ppg. and shooting 49.3% before that contest...named WCC Player of the Week on Jan. 24th after leading USF to a sweep over #11 Gonzaga andPortland by averaging 22.5 points and 12 rebounds....scored 18points and pulled 13 rebounds vs. Gonzaga in upset win...named to the all-Northwestern Mutual Shootout team after scoring 21 points vs. St. Joseph's....won the Arthur C. Zief, Jr. Award as the team's Most Inspirational Player.
SOPHOMORE: Started 17 games with averages of 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest...in league play finished with averages of 6.9 ppg. and 4.0 rpg ...shot a solid 50.0% floor and 36.8% from three-point...received two awards at the end of season banquet, the "Bob Giron Coaches Award" for effort and the "Arthur C. Zief, Jr. Most Inspirational Award."...had a career best 22 point, 11 rebound performance vs. Portland making all 7 of his field goal attempts...USF won 10 of his 17 starts...also scored 19 points in win at Pepperdine.
REDSHIRT YEAR: Jerome sat out the 2002-2003 season as a medical redshirt.
FRESHMAN: Appeared in 26 games, with one start against Santa Clara...his 7.4 rebounds per 40 minutes was second on the team to Darrell Tucker, pulling 33 rebounds in just 176 minutes played...scored a career high 11points vs. Cal State Hayward...pulled career best six rebounds in win at St. Mary's...also scored nine points in win over Southern and eight at Santa Clara.
HIGH SCHOOL: Averaged 24 points, 14 rebounds (5th in Kentucky) and 5.5 assists at Barren County High School...shot 65% from the floor, 44% from 3-point and 82% from the line ...played in the prestigious Kentucky-Indiana prep All-Star games...played two prep years in the Virgin Islands and his junior year at Berkshire High School in Florida.
