Jerry Venable

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HIGH, STAUNTON (1966)
BASKETBALL

Jerry Venable completed his high school basketball career with the highest scoring single game (61 points) and the highest scoring average per season. He led his team to a third place finish in the 1966 VIA Group II State Championships. That year he was among the first two African-American basketball players selected to the Virginia Sportswriters and Sportscasters All-State Team. After high school, he attended Ferrum College where he was a Junior College All-American in 1968. He was the leading scorer in his two seasons at Kansas State University, averaging 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He was one of three players in Kansas State history to score 30 points and collect 20 rebounds in a single game. As team captain in 1970, he led Kansas State to the regular season championship and was an All-Big Eight Conference selection. After having been drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Cowboys, he continued his basketball career for many years as a world traveler and goodwill ambassador with the Harlem Globetrotters. Mr. Venable now lives in the Staunton, VA area where he leads a community-based nonprofit organization called “Learning Opportunities Through Sports.” This organization helps school aged children through the promotion of sports and educational activities.