KEMAH, Texas (KHOU) – NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is helping a young man chase his dream of becoming the tallest police officer in Texas.
Jordan Wilmore, 24, is an aspiring Kemah police officer who stands 7 feet, 3 inches tall. After completing the police academy, he took his state peace officer exam and scored 69, just one point shy of the passing score of 70.
“At first, I was down, but then, I’m like, ‘You know, I’m still young. You fail. You got to get right back up. Can’t be so quick to quit,’” Wilmore said.
Police Chief Raymond Garivey says Wilmore’s determination stood out.
“In my 34-year career, I’ve seen others fail, but I’ve also seen people give up. And once they’re done, they’re done. They fail, [decide] that’s not for me and go do other work. That’s not the case here. [Wilmore] wants to serve,” Garivey said.
After seeing Wilmore on Instagram, O’Neal, who is a certified peace officer himself and stands 7 feet, 1 inch, reached out to help. The NBA legend says he relates to Wilmore’s story.
“I thought I was the tallest, handsomest cop in the world,” O’Neal said. “It actually took me five to seven years to graduate from the LA [Los Angeles] Sheriff’s Academy. I wanted to just let him know he’s got my full support.”
O’Neal has agreed to sponsor Wilmore’s next attempt at the police academy. As an added incentive, he says he’ll have a custom-made car ready for the young man when he passes the exam.
“I want him to really focus on this because it’s commendable that a kid wants to be a cop. I love cops… Cops made me who I am,” O’Neal said.
Wilmore says he’s grateful for O’Neal’s support.
“I’m really thankful for him helping me out and being there and being a mentor for helping me through this,” he said.
Wilmore previously played basketball overseas, but he says law enforcement is something he’s always wanted to be part of. Because of his height, once he passes his exam, he will need not only a custom car but a custom uniform and a special-ordered gun to fit his hands.