ORANGE, NJ — Orange High School alumnus Jamar Summers was recently drafted by the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League, which has been resurrected after 37 years and will begin its season this spring.
Summers, a 2013 OHS graduate who continued his career at the University of Connecticut, was the first cornerback selected in the draft.
This will be Summers’ sixth professional team since coming out of UConn. The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. After being cut by the Steelers in preseason, Summers signed with the Birmingham Iron of the then-new Alliance of American Football league and played in the league’s debut season in 2019. The league ceased operations after just one season. Summers signed with the Miami Dolphins and later with the Detroit Lions in 2019, but was waived by both teams in the preseason. He was drafted in the first round by the New York Guardians of the XFL in 2020, but the league soon suspended operations.
Summers played for Randy Daniel, who was the Tornadoes head coach from 1996 to early last season when he stepped down.
New OHS head coach Khalfani Alleyne, also an OHS graduate, Class of 2001, was a volunteer coach with the Tornadoes when Summers played for the team.
Alleyne noted that Summers is a guy who cares about helping young kids. Summers has been helping youngsters in Houston as he begins his career with the Gamblers.
“Jamar is an amazing talent,” Alleyne told the Record-Transcript on March 14. “He’s a great person, even more so than his talent. Jamar got drafted by the Houston Gamblers, in a brand-new league, and he has been out there helping out high school kids. He’s been training with them, doing some footwork drills and agility things with them, getting them sharper on a random Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. He’s that kind of a guy — always looking to help, always looking to give back.
“He’s a great guy, great talent and a great role model for our program.”
In addition to Summers, other Tornadoes who have played for Daniel have gone on to play in the NFL and Canadian Football League. Among them are Jason Alford, Cory Boyd, Willington Previlon and Kassan Messiah.
Alleyne took over for Daniel, who stepped down following the Week 2 forfeit loss to Newark West Side due to COVID-19. Alleyne will also serve as one of the assistant coaches for the East squad in the 27th Paul Robeson East–West All-Star Classic on Thursday, June 9, at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange.
The USFL previously ran for three seasons, from 1983 to 1985.
The season starts April 16 and will have all its games in Birmingham, Ala.
Photo Courtesy of UConn
Orange HS alum Jamar Summers drafted by USFL’s Houston Gamblers added by Joe Ragozzino on
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