Kyle Dierking 
OKBlitz.com Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The video was about as blurry as his basketball future.

"That's the 6-9 kid," the voice said on the tape. “The big, silly dude"

As foggy as the video was, the beanstalk-like boy was unmistakable.

It's some footage that was taken of Jerome Jordan back in 2004. He was just a tenderfoot teenager who had just started learning the game of basketball.

"He was clumsy man," Jordan said of himself. "You got to be able to laugh at yourself, so every time I see it or somebody mentions it to me, I laugh."

Long before he was throwing down dunks or becoming TU’s all-time leader in blocks, Jordan’s ability was as raw as the video taken.

"He really couldn't run," said TU teammate Ben Uzoh. "Nobody's 7-feet, so we don't know what it's like to be 7-foot."

Said Jordan, "shoot, just daily life, like ducking under doors. It's definitely different, but it's a blessing man."

It was just a matter of tapping into his gift. Jordan didn't start playing basketball until he was 17, moving from his native Jamaica to New York and later Florida to better learn the game.

Between learning fundamentals and a 5,000 calorie a day diet, it's been a process to become a potential NBA Draft pick.

"It seemed like whatever I ate, it didn't stick,” Jordan said. “We were lifting and stuff at the time, but I had to drink extra shakes, eat extra food but little by little it just started to stick and I am where I am right now."

It's really been a metaphor for his game. Jordan's averaged 15 points, nearly nine rebounds and two blocks during his senior campaign. He'll have to play well if the Golden Hurricane wants to win the Conference USA Tournament.

"I do feel the weight but it’s not a burden I wouldn't want to carry," Jordan said.

The load is there, but the journey to get to where he has now has prepared him for it.

"It's been a different road. It wasn't normal,” Jordan said. "I had some bumps here and there. I'm definitely proud of what happened and how I got here."

It's a picture that's gone from grainy to great, his path perfectly clear.