Jimmer Fredette has talent in his genes — literally.
Michelle Ercanbrack, a BYU alumna and family historian from Ancestry.com decided that it was only natural to look into Fredette's ancestry.
What Ercanbrack found was quite the interesting discovery.
Fredette's family roots trace far north with the last name — Fredette being Canadian. The most interesting discovery was not only does Fredette impress when it comes to playing basketball, but he has relatives who have won multiple championships.
Jean-Claude Tremblay was a a defenseman for the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and the WHA's Quebec Nordiques. Fredette and Tremblay share an eighth great-grandfather who immigrated to Quebec in the 1600's. Tremblay was known for his playmaking abilities and defensive skills. He was voted league MVP in 1960 and played on five Stanley Cup winning teams. Tremblay has won several awards, including best defenseman in 1973 and went on to lead his team to the 1977 AVOC World Trophy.
Tremblay was not just an extraordinary athlete, he was also considered a man of compassion. After retiring in 1979 he donated a a kidney to his daughter.
Not only are there superior athletics in Fredette's family tree, but also military personnel. Ercanbrack's research showed that both of Fredette's grandfathers enlisted in World War II.
'This was so interesting to find,' Ercanbrack said. 'Jimmer literally has American heroes within his family tree; I am sure they would be very proud of Jimmer and his accomplishments.'
From humble beginnings, Fredette's family line has worked in many different fields of labor. Fredette's maternal line consists of teachers, merchants, railroad clerks and canal men. His paternal line consists of farmers and stone masons.
'The great thing about Ancestry.com is that you can make these amazing discoveries within your own families, Ercanbrack said. 'We have more than seven billion historical records online with anyone being able to add to it.'
Ancestry.com is available to everyone interested in doing family history.
'The process is simple,' Ercanbrack said. 'Once you begin to add information, little hints pop-up helping you to discover more about your own family.'