East Chicago and played on the school's baseball team as a pitcher and center fielder. He was an all-state basketball player. Lofton is the uncle of the actor Cirroc Lofton, who played Jake Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. College basketball and baseball Lofton accepted a scholarship from the University of Arizona to play college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. For the Wildcats, Lofton was the backup point guard (to Craig McMillan and Steve Kerr) on a team that made it to the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. He was the starting point guard the following year when the Wildcats made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Lofton is one of only two men to play in a college basketball Final Four (1988) and an MLB World Series. (The other is fellow East Chicago Washington High School alumnus Tim Stoddard.) He left as the Wildcats' leader in career steals (a record eventually broken). "In strength and agility drills, he just killed it. He's a guy who could have played pro football or basketball or baseball", said former Wildcats teammate Bruce Fraser. Lofton decided to try out for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team during his junior year. He played in just five baseball games and recorded only one official at-bat while at Arizona, but his speed and potential were recognized by baseball scouts, including the Houston Astros' Clark Crist. The Astros later selected Lofton in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft. He played minor-league baseball during the summer while completing his basketball eligibility at Arizona. The Astros organization asked Lofton to play minor-league baseball in the Florida Instructional League, but Lofton declined, citing a promise he had made to his grandmother to obtain his degree. Lofton earned a degree in studio production at the University of Arizona while playing minor-league baseball for the Houston Astros. He credits his post-MLB success, as owner of FilmPool, Inc., to that education. Lofton is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Minor league career Lofton struggled early in his professional baseball career in the Astros farm system. He hit .214 in 48 games as an outfielder for the Auburn Astros of the New York–Penn League, but recorded 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts. Lofton returned to Auburn in 1989 and hit .263 with 26 steals in 34 games. He then hit .329 with 14 steals in