Tag: professional athletes

15 Athletes Who Are Jehovah’s Witnesses 2024: Profiles and Beliefs in Sports – Southwest Journal
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All around the world, more than 8.2 million people are devout followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and intriguingly, this group includes several high-profile athletes. These sports stars, ranging from boxers to basketball players and baseball professionals, all share a common faith while are one of the best in the World in their fields.

While some were born into this religious belief, others embraced it later in life, finding solace and direction in its teachings. Notably, the realm of tennis boasts two of the greatest female athletes who practice Jehovah’s Witness faith.

Among them, Serena Williams stands out as perhaps the most famous athlete associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses. She, along with her sister Venus, was brought up following the faith’s traditions.
Key Takeaways

Tennis players Serena and Venus Williams

Baseball players Chet Lemon and Lou Whitaker

NBA players Darren Collison and Danny Granger

Professional golfer Mark McCumber

Footballer Peter Knowles

ABA and NBA player Willie Wise

Basketball player Dave Meyers

Boxer Kid Gavilán

Ice hockey goaltender Travis Scott

NFL player Dave Pear
1. Chet Lemon

Chet Lemon, selected first overall in the 1972 draft by the Chicago White Sox, later became a key player for the Detroit Tigers as their center fielder, contributing to their 1984 World Series victory according to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was born on February 12, 1955.

He is famous for his exceptional defensive skills in center field, Lemon’s life took a significant turn during his time with the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s after he encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses.

His commitment to this faith deepened to such an extent that in 1991, faced with a life-threatening blood disorder, he adhered to his religious beliefs against undergoing surgery as per Tampa Bay states.
- Age: 69
- Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi
- Teams: Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox
2. Serena Williams

Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981.

She is a well-known athlete who began her professional tennis career at 14, receiving a wild card entry at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. according to World Tennis Magazine.

Since then, the 41-year-old has secured 23 Grand Slam singles titles and has been named the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year four times, among other achievements, establishing her as the most successful female tennis player in history.
- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
3. Venus Williams

4. Darren Collison

Darren Collison, born on August 23, 1987, started his basketball career in college, playing four years for the UCLA Bruins.

His performance peaked in his senior year when he won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award and was picked by the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA draft.

Collison played as a point guard for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers from 2009 to 2019.

Following a season where he averaged 11.2 points and six assists per game, he retired in 2019 to focus on his religious faith saying in a statement:

“While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and my faith means everything to me.”
- Birthdate: August 23, 1987
- Highlights: Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner, former NBA point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Clippers
- Retirement: 2019 to pursue religious dedication
5. Travis Scott
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Kanata, Ottawa, Canada
- Teams: Kölner Haie
6. Lou Whitaker

Born on May 12, 1957, Lou Whitaker played baseball from high school to college before being drafted by the Detroit Tigers, where he spent his entire career.

He contributed to the Tigers’ 1984 World Series victory and played in 2,390 games before retiring in August 2022 according to ClickOnDetroit.

Seven years ago, Whitaker was recognized as an American League All-Star, earned four Silver Slugger Awards, and won three Gold Glove Awards.

His teammate Chet Lemon introduced him this faith. Whitaker, who did not grow up as Jehovah’s Witness, later converted to the religion.

He now dedicates at least 840 hours annually to missionary work for the organization.
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: New York City, New York
- Teams: Detroit Tigers, Detroit Tigers
7. Dewayne Dedmon

Dewayne is a notable supporting player in the NBA, a position he attained against the backdrop of growing up in a Jehovah’s Witness family where his mom didn’t support his basketball ambitions.

He taught himself the skills necessary to enter the NBA because he didn’t have access to professional coaching.

Despite not winning a championship with the Miami Heat, his path to the NBA is noteworthy.
- Age: 34
- Birthplace: Lancaster, California
- Teams: Miami Heat
8. Kid Gavilán
- Age: Dec. at 77 (1926-2003)
- Birthplace: Berrocal, Spain
9. Dave Pear
- Age: 70
- Birthplace: Vancouver, Washington
10. Danny Granger

Danny Granger was born on April 20, 1983. Following his two-year stint at the University of New Mexico, he was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2005, marking the start of his ten-season NBA career as per Proballers.

Granger stood out as one of the Pacers’ top scorers for nine seasons. He later joined the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat as a forward.

Despite his contributions, he was never able to secure a championship title with any of these teams.

It is unclear if he still practices the faith today.
- Age: 40 (on April 20. 2024)
- Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Teams: Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Indiana Pacers
11. Mark McCumber

Mark McCumber is a professional golfer with experience on both the PGA and Champions Tours, having 10 PGA Tour victories.

He also teamed up with Ben Crenshaw to secure a win for the United States in the World Cup.

Beyond his playing career, McCumber has worked in golf course architecture and served as an analyst for Fox Sports.

He is a committed Jehovah’s Witness and frequently delivers sermons to clarify misconceptions about his faith.

He also says:

“It’s a very misunderstood religion.”
- Age: 72
- Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida
12. Peter Knowles

Peter Knowles, born on September 30, 1945, started his professional football career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring 101 career goals.

He is also known for being one of the footballers who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He chose to leave football to dedicate his life to his faith, taking on various jobs such as reportedly delivering milk, washing windows, and working in a warehouse for Marks & Spencer.

Today Knowles says he does not regret leaving his successful football career for his beliefs.
- Age: 78
- Life Choices: Transitioned from professional football to embrace full-time religious activities
13. Willie Wise

14. Dave Meyers
- Birthplace: Vancouver, Washington
15. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard, who was born on December 8, 1985, is a well-known NBA player with a career spanning several teams, including the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets.

He is also a devout Jehovah’s Witness, a faith that he credits guiding his personal life and professional career.
- Age: 38
- Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia,
- USA Teams: Notably Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets
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Srdjan Ilic

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March 26, 2024
The Inflated Risk of Vaccine-Induced Cardiac Arrest

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During this week’s Monday Night Football game, the 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed moments after making a routine defensive play. Hamlin seemed to have suffered a blow to his chest shortly before losing consciousness from cardiac arrest, and his condition is grave. The source of his illness remains unclear. A study of sudden cardiac events in U.S. athletes from 2014 to 2016 found that structural abnormalities of the heart muscle or arteries and faulty electric rhythms were the most common causes; traumatic chest injuries have also been linked to such incidents, in a rare condition called commotio cordis. Still, the availability of these hypotheses did not stop online activists from blaming Hamlin’s health crisis on vaccines.

Anti-vaccine influencers have been fomenting fear about a supposed rise in COVID-shot-induced athletic deaths for a while. Fact-checkers have repeatedly assessed these claims and found them to be without merit. Jonathan Drezner, a sports-medicine physician who studies sudden deaths in athletes, told media outlets last year that he was “not aware of any COVID-19 vaccine-related athletic death.” The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, which systematically tracks sports-related fatalities, identified 13 medical deaths during football-related activities in 2021 among players participating at all levels of competition, eight of which were caused by cardiac arrest. The same researchers had found 14 medical deaths two years earlier, 10 of which were heart-related. These incidents remain tragic and scarce.

The mRNA shots by Pfizer and Moderna are associated with a very small risk of heart inflammation, called myocarditis, which can lead to cardiac arrest. This risk is most pronounced in teenage boys receiving a second dose of the vaccine, but even in that scenario only about one in 10,000 recipients is affected. (Most professional athletes are in their 20s, not teens, so the risk to them is lower.) Myocarditis is a potentially fatal condition, but the version that occurs after vaccination is much less deadly than the heart inflammation induced by many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. A recent analysis identified only a single death in 104 cases of vaccine-induced myocarditis. In comparison, for every 100 people who get myocarditis from a virus, about 11 will die.

Read: The selfishness of Novak Djokovic

The mere fact that mRNA shots can lead to heart problems has been exploited by conservative commentators and politicians to exaggerate the risks to young people. Last month, per a news release, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis promised to look into “sudden deaths of individuals that received the COVID-19 vaccine,” and called for a grand jury to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the vaccine manufacturers. His petition to the Florida Supreme Court justified the investigation by pointing out that “excess mortality from heart attacks rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among individuals ages 25 to 44.” Yet the rise in youth heart attacks actually began in 2020, before vaccines were available. That’s because increased cardiac fatalities during the pandemic have mostly been due to the coronavirus itself. Heart-disease deaths in the United States have been observed to rise and fall in near lockstep with waves of COVID deaths, suggesting that most of these cases—97 percent, according to one estimate—are the result of undocumented SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DeSantis’s crusade against vaccines is backed by his surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who is a staunch opponent of inoculating young people against COVID. (He has encouraged the use of ineffective therapies such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, though.) In October, Ladapo’s department produced an anonymous, non-peer-reviewed analysis suggesting that COVID shots were causing an increase in cardiac fatalities in young men. This report was modeled on a study by the U.K. government, which came to the opposite conclusion about vaccines but did find that COVID infection was associated with a sixfold increase in youth cardiac death. Given the lack of detail provided in the Florida study, it’s hard to know how to reconcile its contradictory result. This week, a group of University of Florida physicians and scientists released a report that strongly criticized the work’s methodology.

The COVID vaccines are among the most widely used medical interventions. More than 13 billion doses have been administered, at least 1 billion of which relied on mRNA technology. In analyzing this trove of real-world data, researchers have occasionally identified potential safety issues. A lack of perfect consistency across their studies is expected, and only confirms that the scientific dialogue about this new technology has been transparent. Scientists know that findings made outside a clinical trial are prone to spurious associations, so they examine how well each analysis has been performed and interpret it in the context of prior research.

Read: The core lesson of the COVID-19 heart debate

Vaccine skeptics prefer to cherry-pick supportive studies while ignoring others that contradict them. Ladapo, for example, has cited a Scandinavian report showing a potential increase in post-vaccine blood clots and heart attacks. Yet the study authors themselves cautioned readers against relying too heavily on their results, because the finding was observed in only some age groups and time periods but not others. Ladapo also failed to mention that similar studies out of the U.K., France, Scotland, and elsewhere had not found a meaningful increase in blood clots or heart attacks with mRNA shots.

A careful recitation of facts can take one only so far in combatting anti-vaccine claims. Activists use ambiguous anecdotes such as Hamlin’s cardiac arrest and the sudden death of the soccer journalist Grant Wahl during last month’s World Cup to make the alleged risks of the shots more visceral. Sports are much less dangerous than SARS-CoV-2, but when unexpected tragedies do occur, they lead to an outpouring of mourning and reflection. Collective trauma can easily give way to collective speculation, and partisans on all sides will be happy to tell us what really happened. Yet convenient scapegoats will not be enough to mend our grief.

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Benjamin Mazer

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January 4, 2023