Utah Jazz alums: Greg Ostertag helping to revive old Texas town

Former Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag has taken it upon himself to rebuild a small town in Texas he calls home; building by building.

If one were to comb through the annals of Utah Jazz lore, they’d be hard-pressed to find a more eclectic character than Greg Ostertag. A key cog to the best teams in Jazz history, the man with the Fred Flintstone tattoo on his right calf was also a bit of a goofball; a square peg trying to conform to a round hole.

Ostertag continues to take the road less traveled in retirement. A few years back, he made headlines by taking up rec league hockey. These days, you’ll find him doing something equally out there — in the best way possible.

He’s putting his time and resources into rebuilding the small town in Franklin County, Texas he and his wife, Shannon, call home.

Located just off Interstate 30 between Dallas and Texarkana, Mount Vernon, TX is the very picture of a quaint, old East Texas town. It was first settled in the 1840s and, as of the 2010 US census, had a population of just 2,662 people.

Nevertheless, there’s a rich history there, and Ostertag doesn’t want to see it go to waste. After pointing out the decaying state of Mount Vernon’s historic downtown to his wife, she prompted him to take action. From there, their cause was clear.

“We, as a team, as a husband and wife, decided to give an effort to help pull this town back,” Ostertag told WFAA TV in Dallas.

So far, they’ve fixed up the old general store and a coffee shop. They’ve also converted one of the town’s oldest houses into a bed and breakfast.

Say what you will about whether or not Ostertag maxed out on his potential as a player, he definitely appears to be doing so as a person since hanging up the hi-tops.

Here’s WFAA’s feature on the Ostertags’ efforts on Thursday —

Ostertag spent 10 seasons with the Jazz, making 700 appearances for the team along the way. That number ranks sixth all-time in franchise history. He averaged five points, six rebounds and nearly two blocked shots per game over that span.