Jermon Bushrod will tell you the chances are very slim that a small town, non-scholarship recruit who suffers a broken foot in his freshman season could eventually wind up in the NFL and enjoy a distinguished 12-year playing career as a professional football player.
Along with Jeff Castle (golf), Dan Cocchi (lacrosse), Dan O'Connell (sports information), Nance Reed (administration), Sean Schaefer (football) and Tina Shriver (Track & Field), Jermon will be inducted into the Tigers' Hall of Fame Friday, October 15th at the 57th Annual Induction Banquet at the Valley Mansion in Hunt Valley. Tickets are still available by visiting www.bit.ly/tu-hof-21.
"Coming from where I came from in King George (Va.) I didn't think things would turn out the way they have," says Jermon. "In life it's all about opportunity and relationships. It's about who sees something in you that you don't see in yourself and who can push you. That happened to me at Towson. I was thinking I'd get a scholarship after the first year so my parents wouldn't have to pay any more. It was really (offensive line) coach John Donatelli who pushed me and showed me and who had a conversation with me outside of Unitas Stadium one afternoon that really changed my life. He gave me the inspiration I needed. He was the one who told me this (pro career) could be an option for me. I took his advice and ran with it."
Jermon started the final 38 games of his college career. A 2006 Tiger captain, he earned All-Atlantic 10 postseason honors three times; honorable mention as a sophomore, second team as a junior and first team as a senior. The 6-5, 350 lb. offensive tackle was a 4
th round drafted choice of the New Orleans Saints. As the 125
th player taken in the 2007 NFL college draft he was the highest draft pick of any Atlantic 10 player that year.
"Having the opportunity to go to Towson allowed me to do a lot, to eventually go to places I never thought I would go, meet people I never thought I would meet and certainly have a career a lot of people could only dream of having, including myself," says Jermon.
After an understudy role with the Saints in his first two years he became a fixture on their offensive line at left tackle, helping them to a Super Bowl championship in 2010. The following year Jermon led the NFL in snaps played with 1,117. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2011 and 2012. He started 128 of the 145 games in the seven seasons he played for the Saints. He was subsequently traded to Chicago where he played three years for the Bears before moving on to the Miami Dolphins for two years. In 2018 he returned to New Orleans. He officially retired as a Saint in 2019. He is currently on the Saints' staff as a pro scouting assistant.
"I'm trying to take the same approach to my next career or venture as I did at Towson," Jermon says. "I didn't go to Towson thinking I was going to be drafted and play in the NFL. As far as my playing career, I had options to keep playing but the rewards didn't outweigh the risks. I wanted to end it on a good note and really spend more time with my family."
Off the field Jermon, who earned his degree at Towson in Sports Management, was nominated for the Ed Block Courage Award. In 2015 he was the recipient of Towson University's prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award. Over the years the Visualize and Rize Foundation which he founded along with his father, Jerry Bushrod, to support youth sports and education programs, has donated over $800,000 to the King George community and surrounding counties.
