Jay Zulauf
Year Inducted: 2011
In high school athletics coaches and athletic administrators dream of a “special” athlete comes around only every eight to ten years. In the late 1980’s this occurred at Port Huron High School with the once in a lifetime arrival of the Zulauf twins Jay and Jon. They took their place in PHHS history along with the likes of Lysle Smith, Richie Robins, Brett Mullins, Ryan Mullins, Booker and John Hazley, Al Davis and others. They dominated the basketball courts from 1985-88. Quoting their basketball coach Ed Peltz, “They are gentlemen, scholars and very fine basketball players. They are definitely fine kids and coachable kids”.
As a 6’5” forward Jay Zulauf was named 1st Team All-EML and 2nd Team All-Area in his sophomore season. Jay helped lead the Big Reds to the EML Championship. As a 6’6” junior Jay averaged 18 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Jay recorded an 87% average from the free throw line and was a big factor in the Big Reds record breaking 21-2 season. Jay was again named 1st Team All-EML, 2nd Team All-Area and honorable mention All-State. Jay also played PHHS tennis his sophomore season before giving up tennis to concentrate on basketball. And he won numerous youth tennis tournaments.
As a 6’7” senior Jay led the Big Reds to another record breaking season of 25-2, before losing to Detroit Southwestern the #1 ranked team, in the Quarter finals 66-59 while being the #2 ranked team in the state. He averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, shot 63% from the field and 88% from the free throw line. For the third time he was named 1st Team All-EML. And he was named 1st Team All-Area, All-Metro East, Detroit Free Press Dream Team and 1st Team All-State. Jay was also named EML MVP. Along with his state wide accolades Jay was named to the McDonalds All-American Team and was ranked as being in the top 60 players in the country. He set PHHS records in most career points, most points in a season (1988) and finished his career with 88% free throw percentage and 63% field goal percentage. The basketball records set by Jay and Jon still stand after 23 years.
Upon completing his high school career, Jay accepted a scholarship to Bowling Green State University where he played 6 games his freshman season averaging 4.3 points. Following that season he transferred to Marquette University. At Marquette Jay played in 26 games in his senior season playing 22 minutes per game in his final 8 games and averaging 9.1 points. He scored a career high 19 points vs. St. Louis at the MCC Conference Tournament in Dayton and was voted the best athlete on the team in 1992.
Upon completing his college career Jay played three seasons of professional basketball in Luxembourg where he led the country in scoring averaging 38 points and a team high game of 54 points. Jay was named one of St. Clair County’s All-Time 50 Best Athletes. He and his wife Holly live in Alpharetta, Georgia and have a son Brant and a daughter Cuyler.
