Jeremiah Horton stepped onto the basketball court Saturday at Lake Forest College as a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior guard for Knox College.

His road to contributing on a college basketball team has not been traditional.

Until his senior year at Oak Park-River Forest, he had never even tried out for any level of high school basketball.

"I made up my mind the summer going into my senior year I was going to make the team," Horton said. "I always loved the game of basketball."

He started out at 230 pounds but lost 40 en route to becoming a key contributor off the bench for the Huskies in 2014-15. Then he enrolled at Knox, a private college in Galesburg, and made the team.

Horton played in only one game as a freshman, then in eight games as a sophomore. He worked his way up to 245 pounds with the goal of helping the Division III Prairie Fire as a post player.

Despite not playing much, his practice habits were always consistent.

"He brings a lot of energy and intensity," Knox head coach Kevin Walden said. "When you recruit players from good programs like (OPRF), they understand competition at the college level. They bring a daily work ethic."

Last spring, Horton learned he would need to transform his body again. His best chance to earn playing time would be at wing, not forward.

That's when he decided to remove all meat and animal products from his diet and become a vegan.

When Horton took the court against Lake Forest College, he weighed 180 pounds.

"I'm so much quicker, can jump higher and don't get tired or sore," Horton said. "I feel stronger than last year."

He said he eats a diet of black bean burgers, smoothies, salads, seeds and nuts. He shops for his own food at a health food store near his apartment in Galesburg and at a local Walmart that carries vegan options.

Horton owns a pet, a 3-month-old bunny named Tofu. He said his affection for animals and basketball were his motivation for becoming a vegan, a lifestyle he plans to continue after his playing career is over.

He scored three points in about a minute of playing time Saturday at Lake Forest.

"I have a lot of compassion for animals and I've always loved the game of basketball," Horton said. "Becoming a vegan has really made an impact."

Jon J. Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

Twitter @Pioneer_Press