THE INMATE ATHLETE
Ethan Fisher is the only person in history to play college basketball while serving a prison sentence on Inmate Status. But his path to the court was paved with failure.
5 Schools. 5 Failures.
Before his turnaround, Ethan was a talented athlete battling untreated manic depression, severe depression, ADD, and PTSD. He self-medicated with alcohol and drugs, failing out of five consecutive college basketball programs.
The rock bottom came at 23. After blacking out at a party, Ethan woke up in a hospital bed to the news that changed everything: he had driven drunk and taken a life. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The Comeback
Ethan served 3 years inside, followed by a halfway house and ISP (Inmate Status). At 28 years old, while still on inmate status, he did the near impossible: he returned to college basketball.
He joined a team that had gone 3-30. Unable to travel for games due to his sentence, he still helped lead a historic turnaround. The team went from the bottom of the country to conference champions for three consecutive years—two with Ethan as a player, and one as a coach.
No Excuses
While playing and coaching, Ethan took 24.5 credits a trimester and worked a 40-hour week job. He graduated Magna and Summa Cum Laude with two bachelor's degrees, three minors, and an MBA with honors. He was named Entrepreneur Student of the Year and received the campus's highest honor: The President's Award.
Today, with 750+ speeches delivered and 300,000+ lives impacted, Ethan uses his story to prove that no matter how far you fall, you can always rewrite your ending.
Conference Champions
The "Impossible" Season
THE INMATE ATHLETE SCHEDULE
"I slept less than 4 hours a night, 7 days a week for nearly 7 years straight... YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE TO NOT GET STUFF DONE."
*Weekday schedule maintained from 2009-2012 while serving ISP sentence
THE WEEKEND GRIND
"Weekends were harder than weekdays. 20-24 hours of work, plus homework. No sleep-ins. No social life. No family visits. Just work."
The Reality: Confined to home from 6 AM - 9 PM, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for nearly 4 years. No family visits. No social life. Relationships crumbled under the weight of dedication. But the work never stopped.