John Amaechi prefers to live his life according to principle.

The former Penn State basketball star and current Utah Jazz forward has seen the road of life take him on several twists and turns in his 31 years.

But through it all Amaechi always sought out to do the right thing.

"I just think that if you're not a person of principle, what are you?" Amaechi said.

Amaechi played for Penn State from 1992-1995 and led the team in scoring twice. He was a two-time captain and the key component to the 1995 National Invitation Tournament final four team.

While those collegiate credentials would be the envy almost anyone, what makes them all the more impressive is that Amaechi did not pick up a basketball until the age of 17 -- and that was in his native England where the sport is mostly just an afterthought.

"They sent a copy of my (British high school) yearbook to me and it said I was going to play in the NBA and make a lot of money," Amaechi, a star rugby player growing up, said. "At the time that book was printed I had been playing basketball for six weeks."

It quickly became apparent to Amaechi that basketball was a vehicle he could use to achieve what he wanted to in his life, and he and his family decided a move to the United States would be the best way to facilitate that goal.

Although he got offers from several high-profile high schools in trendy areas of the country, Amaechi exercised his principle that flash is not always as important as character and he enrolled at St. John's high school in Toledo.

"Toledo is not the most exotic place I could pick," Amaechi said. "But it was all about the people. I still stay in touch with (St. John's head coach Ed Heintschell)."

Heintschell said that Amaechi had the size and talent, but he needed a lot of work to become a successful player.

"He would always be shooting out by the three-point line," Heintschell said. "He had no post moves, no skill with moves under the basket. We had to work with him on that. That's the thing about John, he's a hard worker."

With that work, Amaechi had established himself as a Div. I basketball player upon graduation. He then sought to take the next turn on his road of life and attempted to find a school that combined top-level basketball with a respected psychology program.

Northwestern was by far the best choice, and Amaechi longed to attend school in Evanston, Ill. But the Wildcats did not want him.

"They said I wasn't good enough," Amaechi said.

So the raw British import enrolled at Vanderbilt. But his stay at the SEC school did not last too long; the path life was taking him on forged in another direction.

"Basically the coach (Eddie Fogler) and I never saw eye-to-eye," Amaechi said. "Sometimes the twists in the road make the journey."

As Amaechi navigated the road life took him on, he needed to choose a new school. This time, more schools were interested, including his original top choice of Northwestern. But, on principle alone, Amaechi refused to go somewhere he initially was not wanted. Instead, he used different criteria for choosing a school and ended up at Penn State.

"It was more about the people the second time around," Amaechi said. "I was brought to Penn State and had my visit and (then-head coach Bruce Parkhill) said, 'We think you're very good. You can play in this league.' He didn't make any of the promises other coaches make."

The four-year stop in State College would turn out to be the longest residence Amaechi would take up since leaving England. Penn State's campus was a good match for him, and Amaechi made sure he got his hands into everything.

"I loved my years at Penn State," Amaechi said. "I loved it because I got involved in everything I could. I knew people in (USG), the Greek system, everything. I felt like I was a part of the fabric of Penn State."

"I think John did do an outstanding job in the community and certainly he is one who absorbs himself in the communities he's in," Penn State head coach Jerry Dunn, then an assistant, said. "He sees it as trying to better himself."

Off the court, of course, was only part of Amaechi's impact at Penn State. On the court, he was taking the Lions to new heights in a new conference, the Big Ten.

"John was the focal point of everything we did on both ends of the floor," Parkhill said. "We were rebuilding and starting over and playing at a level we had never played at. John's character really helped us. To go .500 in our third year in the Big Ten -- a lot of people said we could never win in the Big Ten -- was a testament to that group and it was all built around John."

Amaechi ended his career as a Nittany Lion in 1995 and then prepared for the next leg of his journey through life: professional basketball.

After going undrafted, Amaechi wound up signing with the Cavaliers. At last, his dream of playing in the NBA had come to fruition. But when your dreams meet reality, sometimes they do not mesh as well as you had hoped.

"It was miserable," Amaechi said of his rookie season in Cleveland. "A tough year. To achieve what you set out to achieve, it's quite daunting."

Amaechi actually found himself in the starting lineup for his first-ever game, but never really made an impact after that. He played in only 28 games as a rookie and was cut.

Amaechi then saw his travels take him to Europe to play professionally. Amaechi bounced around between teams in France, Italy, Greece and his native England before his agent got him an offer to return to the NBA.

"Orlando was restructuring and needed help," Amaechi said. "I didn't play that much the first couple games."

But Amaechi soon fit in and found himself as a key member of an overachieving team, starting 36 games and helping the rebuilding Magic to a 41-41 finish and playoff berth in 1999-2000.

Establishing himself as a solid fundamental low-post NBA player, Amaechi attracted interest from the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent that summer. They offered Amaechi a four-year, $17 million contract to be Shaquille O'Neal's primary backup.

Yet Amaechi declined the offer and re-signed with the Magic for one year at a paltry (by NBA standards) salary.

Again, principle played a significant role in that decision.

"The year before nobody was interested in me except Orlando," Amaechi said. "You can't be a part-timer, and talk about the way things should be and then not do them."

"It was a loyalty issue for him," Heintschell said. "He was doing the right thing in his mind."

Amaechi ended up missing out not only on the money but on the championship ring the Lakers won last year. Many have criticized his decision, but Amaechi is convinced it was the right choice.

"Do I feel like a fool for trusting human nature?" he said.

What makes Amaechi's principles in being loyal to the Magic all the more amazing is the fact that he was shown none back. The next year the team let Amaechi go.

"Basically I was tossed out of the aircraft, and at a very high altitude," Amaechi said. "I may hold myself to a high standard, but I can't expect that from everyone else. The only people who should feel bad are the Magic. I did the honorable thing."

Being cut loose by the Magic led Amaechi to his most recent destination on his life's path: Salt Lake City. The Jazz signed him to a reported four-year, $11 million deal last summer.

On the surface, Utah seems a perfect fit. The team is veteran and workmanlike, and the city is laid-back and not simply about glitz.

"Salt Lake is a good city," Amaechi said. "It is not an L.A.-type of city. I'm not just a going out club-type of guy."

But on the court hasn't been as smooth a transition. Amaechi is averaging only 11.3 minutes and 3.4 points per game.

"Here is a lot of adjusting to do, both me to the team and the team to me," Amaechi said. "(Wednesday against the Spurs when he scored 18 points) was the first time I fit the system."

One thing is for sure, if Amaechi never fits in on the court, he will be a star in the community of Utah.

"He gave an awful lot of himself when he was here and he did the same in Orlando," Dunn said. "I'm sure he'll do likewise in Utah."

His former coaches all agree that Amaechi is one of a kind.

"He is unique, especially in the world of professional sports," Heintschel said. "Eloquent and thoughtful. The work he's done with kids you can't put a price tag on."

"I think the word 'unique' is overused," Parkhill said. "But that describes John. He has a real love for people."

Amaechi is proud to be remembered by his former coaches in that way, and wherever life takes him next, he hopes people always keep that in mind.

"My legacy as a basketball player I hope was and is will be overshadowed by what I do off the court," he said. "I have tried to work to be remembered as a good person rather than someone who put a ball in a hole from 15 feet."