6’11 Jonah Fogg is The Most Interesting Man in Sault Ste Marie
A blue PT Cruiser showed up at the Sault Ste Marie airport to pick me up, for the Guy Vetrie tournament.
6’11 Jonah Fogg, dressed in a plaid shirt, was standing beside his vehicle, or more like hovering over it with his massive “lumberjack” frame.
Fogg dropped me off at my hotel, and after the 20-minute drive chatting about life, where he wants to play university basketball, and his experience with the Canadian junior national team this past summer–I thought to myself this kid is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
The most interesting man in Sault Ste Marie.
“This guy is in a PT cruiser, most people driving that around here are senior citizens,” Fogg’s high school coach Jeff Giovanatti joked.
Outside of the fact that the big man drives his grandmothers hand-me-down vehicle (which he is very proud of), Fogg’s XXL pocket is used to store his Gatorade bottle that he carries around with him practically everywhere to remain hydrated.
Another interesting fact is that the near seven footer used to work at Dollorama–picture that for a second…the big fella strolling down the aisle with a cart full of products to shelf. You don’t see that everyday.
Jonah also has a younger Brother named Jaden (who is 6’5) and sits in passenger seat; the PT Cruiser might as well be a two-seater.
Sister, Abigail (6’4) is currently playing division one basketball at South Dakota University.
Both parents are around 6’3- it would be fair to say that height runs in the family, something that Jonah sees as a blessing as he is very comfortable in his skin.
“Except when I bump my head walking through doors,” he laughed.
As for Fogg’s basketball career, it reached an all-time high this past summer when he made the Canadian Junior National team.
Fogg played AAU basketball with Canada Elite and then finished off participating in Adidas Nations which took place in beautiful Long Beach, California.
I was also there for the festivities, trust me, Cali is as good as advertised.
During that time, Fogg was hovering around 300 lbs, getting up and down the floor comfortably.
However, in his final season of high school basketball, he now weighs in at 350 lbs, following several set backs.
This past fall, Jonah’s father passed away in a fight with cancer, which put basketball at a complete halt.
“Since my dad passed, I’ve had a lot more on my plate at home. I’m trying to do what I can to keep my mom taken care of,” the mature and well-spoken Fogg explained.
I’ve watched Fogg fluctuate in weight through tracking him for the last 3+ years; he has proven to be a diligent worker, proven by the progress he’s made in the past.
The combination of his father’s passing, along with a concussion and recent appendix surgery has Fogg starting from scratch, getting back to premium shape.
It has been a difficult season to say the least.
“You can’t stop, I’m not going to let it all get me down. If I stop playing basketball, then what would I do?” Fogg asked rhetorically.
“To me, it’s kind of like fighting back against that stuff, and bonding with my brother, you know?”
Coach Giovanatti recalls Fogg’s father attending games, even during his sickness, where he would watch his two boys on the same court.
“Playing with his brother is something he really cherishes and its brought them even closer together.”
From a basketball standpoint, Jonah is back on track and working to slim down, which is his biggest hurdle. On the floor, he is a leader that has good basketball instincts and inside-outside skill.
The NCAA’s Valporaiso and Dayton University have both expressed strong interest in the big man, with Valpo also visiting Fogg in the Soo.
Both programs currently have Canadian content on their rosters–Tevonn Walker, Max Joseph for Valpo, and Dyshawn Pierre for Dayton.
Jonah’s goal is to obtain a full scholarship at a division one school, in order to help his family financially.
However, he is also open to playing Canadian university basketball in the CIS, with Ryerson, Carleton, Laurentian and UBC on his tracks, to name a few.
The 6’11, PT Cruiser driving, former Dollorama employee is now focused on basketball again, but still manages to make side cash when possible.
“It’s nothing official but around the neighborhood, I’ll help a guy cut some wood and things like that; I live out in the woods so that’s why there’s lots of chores at home.”
Well…that’s different.
Jonah Fogg is different–he’s the most interesting man in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
