Maryland Love Connection: Jake & Jasmine Layman

Jasmine Garry remembers the first time she heard about her future husband, Jake Layman. 

She was listening to a song that featured Machine Gun Kelly with one of her friends, Charles Mitchell — Jake’s then-Maryland men’s basketball teammate. 

“One of my teammates, Jake, you would love Jake,” Jasmine recalls Mitchell saying. “He looks just like MGK. “Jake is super cool. He’s lowkey and laid back. You would like him. I’ll try to introduce you two.”

Before long, Jasmine (‘13) received a text that read, “Whaddup, it’s Jake.” But Jake (‘16) admits Mitchell was behind this first communication effort, which Jasmine suspected. 

“I was nervous. I didn’t know what to say,” Jake said.

The pair soon moved beyond communicating via their matchmaker and started hanging out in person. However, a 15-inch height difference and contrasting personality types presented some early awkwardness. 

“Jake was so painfully shy, and I had never spoken to someone who is six-foot-nine,” Jasmine said. “I am five-foot and three-quarter inches tall. I remember thinking, ‘If you’re not going to say anything to me, can you just try? Because I have to put in a lot of effort to look up and talk to you.’” 

But Jasmine and Jake worked through their differences and quickly hit it off. 

“He’s been a gentleman since the day I met him,” Jasmine said.

“She definitely brought me out of my shell,” Jake added.  

Whether it was Jake’s Machine Gun Kelly-esque blond hair or their opposite personalities attracting, something stuck because the Laymans celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary last summer. They live in Japan with their two kids while Jake plays professional basketball overseas.

Maryland basketball fans remember Jake as a reliable presence on the 2012-16 Terps teams that made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Jake played all four years and guided the team to the Sweet 16 in his senior year. 

The former Terps forward remains tied for the second-most games played in Maryland history (141) and is seventh on the program’s career made 3-pointers list (198). 

Jake played for Maryland during the transition from the ACC to the Big Ten and Mark Turgeon’s first season taking over for Hall of Fame Head Coach Gary Williams. Amidst these significant transitions to the program, Jake was part of the push that brought Maryland basketball back into the national spotlight in the 2010s, an experience he remembers fondly.

“My freshman year, we surprised a lot of people,” Jake said. “That was the year that we beat Duke. I think from there, the momentum and the excitement started again. During my time at Maryland, every year was just better and better.”

Jake was drafted 47th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA Draft. However, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft night. He then played six seasons in the NBA for the Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves before beginning his tenure with the SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B.League in 2013.

Jasmine had a successful career of her own, winning a NCA College National Championships with the Terps cheerleading team in 2010. She cheered for almost every Maryland sport on campus. 

Jasmine reflected on how she loved cheering for the Terps and is grateful for the lifelong friendships it provided. 

“It was a close-knit group,” Jasmine said. “All my teammates did really well staying disciplined and went on to have successful careers.”

Jake and Jasmine chose to attend Maryland because of their family ties to the state. Originally from Massachusetts, Jake grew up visiting extended family for holidays in Bel Air. Jasmine spent most of her childhood in Frederick, including many days at her beloved grandparents’ home. 

“The idea of being close to home and close to my grandma was awesome,” Jasmine said. “Even in college, she would drive me stuff and drop off groceries.” 

When Jasmine finally met Jake during her senior year, she doubted going out with an athlete, let alone a freshman basketball player. She claimed basketball was her least favorite sport to cheer for because she didn’t understand the game. She even remembers conversations with teammates unofficially nicknaming Jake “Baby Terp.”  

“I was nervous in general to date a freshman basketball player since I was a senior gearing up for totally different chapter of life,” she said. “But Jake’s maturity caught my eye. I was so intrigued with how quiet and humble he was for being such an incredible athlete. It was like two different people on and off the court.”

“Baby Terp” soon mustered up the courage to ask Jasmine out on a date. She agreed, and the new couple had their first romantic dinner together at the now-defunct College Park Applebee’s. Jake recalled College Park Diner, Jason’s Deli and Chipotle as other favorite date night spots in the early stages of their relationship.

The pair got along well, even as Jasmine finished her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, moved to an apartment outside of College Park and began taking graduate courses at University of Maryland University-College while working at Georgetown University Hospital. During their fourth month of dating, they even got a dog named Tiny, who quickly became a campus celebrity.  

When Jake and Jasmine broke up briefly, there was a custody battle over Tiny.

“Thinking back, I wouldn’t let my kids do this,” Jasmine joked. “I don’t know what we were thinking.”

The pair didn’t want to face each other while separated, so they delegated dog handoff duties to friends and family, including former Maryland men’s basketball manager Ryan Lumpkin and Jasmine’s grandmother. Every week, Tiny was often handed off in the parking lot behind University View. 

“We joke that Tiny kept us together because, at some point, we couldn’t take it anymore,” Jasmine said.

After working through their tiff, the dog parents rekindled their relationship and even got another dog — Penny — at one point during their three years of dating while Jake was still at Maryland.  

“It was very slow, growing together,” Jasmine said. 

“It was so nice to always be able to be around each other during that stage,” Jake added.

When the Trail Blazers drafted Jake, the couple faced another challenge. 

“For me, obviously, I had no choice,” Jake said. “That’s where I was going. But for Jasmine, it was a choice to be made about going with me all the way across the country. She had a tough choice to make.”

“I was so worried,” Jasmine said. “But I stayed behind at first because I just needed to hear him say, ‘You come, I need you here. I can’t do this without you.’”

Before long, Jake doubled down on his commitment to their relationship and requested Jasmine and their dogs to move to Portland with him. 

“Of course, being without her was number one,” Jake said. “But I couldn’t be without my dogs either.”

While Jake played for the Trail Blazers, Jasmine continued her Master’s degree and worked at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.       

“I feel like Jake and I’s balance has never been, ‘I’m going to follow you and watch you play basketball,’ I’ve always done my own thing,” Jasmine said. 

Their relationship flourished in the Pacific Northwest, leading to a 2018 proposal at Jasmine’s grandmother’s house in Fredrick, Maryland. Jake hired a former Maryland basketball photographer to hide in the bushes and covertly photograph the engagement. 

Jake’s rookie contract expired the following summer, making him a free agent. Much to the couple’s delight, Jake was part of a sign-and-trade deal that sent him to the Timberwolves only a few months before their wedding.

“Our relationship has always been a constant whirlwind of new beginnings, but the summer of our wedding and move to Minnesota felt like an absolute fairytale for us,” Jasmine said. 

“That whole summer was a celebration,” Jake said.

The Laymans got married on July 19, 2019, at Maryland’s Memorial Chapel, back in the town where they fell in love. They hosted over 265 friends and family at the newly built The Hotel for their reception. Jake spearheaded the afterparty plans, renting out College Park’s Terrapin’s Turf bar (formerly Sante Fe’s) to continue their celebration into the night. 

“The wedding at Maryland was just awesome,” Jasmine said.

The Laymans described their time in Minnesota as integral to their family’s development. Minneapolis is where they had their first kid, Isaiah. But it’s also where they spent 2020 and dealt with the heaviness of that year. 

“Being in Minnesota for George Floyd’s death was transformative for us as young parents,” Jasmine said. “Minnesota has a special place in our heart because it laid the groundwork and foundation for our faith, what we’re going to teach our kids, and standing firm in how to be kind. We got to practice community outreach. That’s important to show our kids what it means to give back to the community.”

The Laymans practiced community outreach through the Timberwolves organization, primarily working with Minneapolis Young Life, a Christian youth ministry in the area.

“Jake is so steadfast, level-headed, kind and a gentleman,” Jasmine said. “I’m so outgoing, and I bring people in. Our balance means we have a house of warmth and welcoming. Our goal is to spread light into any [basketball] organization we go to.”

After Jake’s contract expired with the Timberwolves, he participated in several NBA training camps. However, he suffered a significant back injury and had to have back surgery in fall 2022. 

During Jake’s rehab and recovery year, the Laymans had more time to grow their marriage and family. They welcomed their other child, Amelia. 

Once Jake recovered, he connected with former Maryland men’s basketball graduate assistant Ryan Richman. Richman pitched him the opportunity to play for SeaHorses Mikawa, as he is the team’s head coach. 

Jake agreed to play for the Japan-based team, leading the Laymans to Kariya, Japan.  

“Now we’re in our second year in Japan, and we’re loving it,” Jake said. “We have our two babies here and some great friends here as well.” 

However, the Laymans look forward to soon returning to Maryland, where their love story began. 

“We get to spend our offseasons, until I’m done playing, at our home in Maryland,” Jake said. “Getting a house was special because we live in Maryland now. That’s our home base. We love Maryland so much. We have great memories there.”