Nov 5, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker (33) reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 102-100. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

In short order, Utah Jazz fans embraced Trevor Booker for his fiery demeanor and energy level on the basketball court. However, there is much more to the man than points and rebounds–namely his eye for innovation and a dedication to the communities he’s called home.

Never has this been more evident than with the sizeable donations made recently by the forward to his alma mater, Clemson University, and its Design and Entrepreneurship Network (DEN).

Booker was in attendance for a student showcase presented by the DEN in April. After having the chance to speak with student entrepreneurs and exchange ideas, he told GreenvilleNews.com that he intended to provide scholarship funds to the program. Now, Booker is following through on that promise to the tune of $30,000.

The donation breaks down as follows–

$15,000 will be used to create the Trevor Booker ’10 Annual Fellowship. The fellowship will support a graduate student leader working with the DEN.

$5,000 will go towards starting an Innovation Fund to help students in the DEN program actually construct prototypes of their new technologies.

The remaining $10,000 is slated for Emerging Scholars, a program that helps high school students from economically disadvantaged areas of South Carolina get a college education.

Clearly Booker has more than basketball on his mind. He possesses an inventor’s spirit and wants to help foster the growth of those special individuals that share his eye for ingenuity.

As much as I love it when he gives Blake Griffin the business or puts Enes Kanter in his place, his off-the-court exploits share an equal role in making him the leader that he is and the kind of player the Utah Jazz should hold onto for a long time.