Told He’d Never Play Again, Jordan Boggan-Cryer Turned Doubt Into Motivation

From a life-altering injury to postseason play, the Eastside Catholic senior's story is one of grit and resilience.

SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Jordan Boggan-Cryer watched as the pass was stolen. Instinct took over. He sprinted back on defense and leapt to block the shot. When he landed, his hip joint went through his hip socket.

While a broken and dislocated hip is as painful as it sounds, Boggan-Cryer was told he would have a full recovery if surgery to repair his hip had been the only issue.

However, his body wasn’t getting enough blood to his hip. He developed avascular necrosis.

“My hip joint was dying,” said the senior basketball player at Eastside Catholic.

Too young for a full hip replacement, Boggan-Cryer underwent a hip resurfacing procedure – the same one local star Isaiah Thomas had while playing for the Boston Celtics – and he now has a metal hip joint and socket.

“It was hard, but it’s a means to an end,” Boggan-Cryer said. “I have a lot of people around me who have helped and encouraged me. I’ve seen improvements, so I just keep going.”

Doctors initially told the Crusaders’ do-it-all player that he would have difficulty walking by the time he was 25. He was advised to give up any thoughts of playing basketball in the future.

Boggan-Cryer, who suffered the injury during an AAU game, sought other opinions. He was determined to play again.

“I won’t let anybody tell me that I can’t,” said Boggan-Cryer, who won a state title with the Crusaders last season. “That’s one big thing about me.”

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It took about seven months for the player Eastside Catholic coach Brent Merritt calls a “coach’s dream” to return to the court. It’s taken years for him to regain a semblance of the athleticism he had as a younger AAU player.

But as he plays in the postseason for the final time, Boggan-Cryer is just happy to be back on the court.

“I enjoy my role on the team,” Boggan-Cryer said. “Whatever coach says to do, I do it. I bring the energy. I lift up heads when they’re down.”

The defending Class 3A champs play Roosevelt at 7 p.m. in the Metro League Tournament at Cleveland High School tonight. One thing is certain: Boggan-Cryer will find a way to contribute, both on the court and from the bench.

“He’s just one of those dudes you want to coach,” Merritt said. “He just believes in himself. That’s the whole reason why we do it here. He embodies everything we’re about. He makes you a believer.”

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