Jeff Powers path to water polo greatness was uncommon. Born in Tennessee, Powers grew up in San Luis Obispo, CA, which was not a water polo hotbed at the time. Fate intervened when UC Irvine and Hall of Fame coach Ted Newland brought Powers on board. At a program with a penchant for developing talent, Powers blossomed and before long was part of the USA Men's National Team. He made his Olympic debut in 2004, the first of three appearances representing Team USA on the world's biggest stage. At 6 feet 7 inches tall, Powers was a versatile talent with a high-powered outside shot. It was his late goal in a victory over Serbia in the 2008 Olympics that signaled redemption for the USA Men's National Team. For the previously ninth-ranked USA squad, the semi-final win assured the team of its first medal in 20 years as the squad departed the Beijing Olympics with Silver. After a fourth-place finish at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Powers was named to the All-World Team. He became a key piece abroad for a variety of club teams for seven seasons with stops in Greece, Italy, and Hungary. After taking part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Powers retired after helping Team USA qualify for the 2013 FINA World Championship—but he hasn't drifted from the game. A longtime member of the Newport Water Polo Foundation, Powers has taken part in multiple USA Water Polo competitions. He remains entrenched in the sport as a high school coach in addition to coaching with ODP alongside camps and clinics.