Athletics | Health Education and Human Sciences | Lion VoicesSeptember 26, 2025

Jarren McAllister: The Tears of Adversity

Written By: Ian Silvester

A devastating knee injury almost ended Jarren McAllister’s playing career, not once, not twice, but three times. Yet, the senior graduate student has embraced adversity through faith and is set to return to the court one last time for the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith men’s basketball team.

For the North Carolina native, the chance to play for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) felt like fate, but injury struck in back-to-back-to-back seasons.

“The doctors told me that it was just really bad luck,” he said of a multi-year series of anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tears – two in his left knee and another in his right.

Instead of hanging it up, Jarren turned to his faith, praying for answers. He asked God to help him define his purpose, find a reason behind the injuries, and move forward.

“It started with a prayer. Starting that conversation with God, let Him know my situation, let Him know where I was, and how much I needed Him in my life at that moment,” Jarren said. “I asked God if this was something I was forcing myself to do because I’ve had the identity of an athlete for most of my life. Am I still playing this game for the love of it all? I asked for guidance and made myself vulnerable to Him so I could find the wisdom within all that was going on.”

After rehabbing his ACL for the third time, his answer came in a call from UAFS head coach Zane Gibson, recruiting Jarren to join the Lions in 2024.

“They wanted me and understood the kind of impact I could have with my experience being part of a Division I program (VCU), and we just hit it off,” he said. “It was a real personal connection with me and the coaches. We had the same values, and Coach Gibson emphasized family. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this program.” 

Despite having earned his bachelor's degree, Jarren still held eligibility when he arrived in 2024. he had the option to enroll in a master’s program at UAFS while playing ball.

“Being a competitive person, I wanted to take that challenge and do the grad program,” Jarren grinned. “I want to be able to keep progressing in different aspects of my life with my education and take advantage of the moment. … The healthcare administration program was one that reached out to me because I felt like it was a way for me to reach out to people and make an impact.”

Through the ups and downs of injuries, Jarren has prioritized his education. He said that being a student-athlete has helped him stay organized, and through online classes at UAFS, he has found a way to better manage his time and focus on his future.

“UAFS has provided me with a greater sense of professionalism as far as how I need to carry myself and what the standard is for excellence and what needs to be done in order to be successful,” he said.

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• Lion Voices
• Men's Basketball
• UAFS Athletics
• Master of Healthcare Administration