After posting a Sept. 8 public plea on Instagram detailing his son's substance abuse issues, NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James posted an follow-up on Sept. 10.
In an Instagram story, Edgerrin and Edgerrin "Jizzle" James Jr. appear on a suburban street, walking with the younger James dribbling a basketball.
"We're going to get Jizzle right," Edgerrin James says. "Recovery, get him back on track."
He then says something about Jizzle's dribbling moves, and the former Cincinnati Bearcat responds. Quickly, the father stops him.
"Ain't no game now," Edgerrin James says. "Until we get back. We gotta get back. We're going to get back. Next year. We've got one more year. We're going to take a full year off, and then we'll be back."
On Sept. 2, Edgerrin James
had posted a similar story, showing him working out with Jizzle and speaking of a road to recovery. However, Jizzle James resumed posting cryptic videos on his Instagram advertising public "meet and greets" throughout Florida and selling merchandise.
College basketball status of Jizzle James
James transferred from Cincinnati to Charlotte, following coach Wes Miller in early April. Keyshuan Tillery, Tyler McKinley and Jordi Rodriguez also followed Miller to the 49ers of the American Athletic Conference.
Though he was used in promotional material for the team, James is no longer on the Charlotte roster.
Briefly, his social media posts hinted at a return to Cincinnati, but the transfer portal is not open, so that would not be possible. At age 21, James qualifies for the NCAA's "5-for-5" rule, allowing an athlete five seasons of eligibility within five years.
So, if Edgerrin James can resuscitate his son's career, he could play somewhere.
Jizzle James had similar issues last season with UC Bearcats
In August, the Bearcats put out a release saying James "was not currently with the team" and was dealing with "personal issues". By Dec. 1 of last year, he appeared at the UC/Tarleton State game and said he was trying to get back. By Dec. 13, he had accompanied the team to Atlanta and sat on the bench during their loss to Georgia.
Four days later, he played at Fifth Third Arena vs. Alabama State, scoring 16 points in a little over 20 minutes.
In three seasons at UC, he started 58 of 95 games and averaged 10.8 points per game. His freshman year he averaged 8.8 points per game; then his sophomore season saw him lead UC at 12.7 points per game. However, his 3-point percentage was 28.2%, something he improved to 44.2% this past season.
The NCAA men's basketball transfer portal opens April 6, 2027, a day after the NCAA Championship from Ford Field in Detroit. It will run for 15 days.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Edgerrin James Instagram story says son Jizzle will play next year
