Chris TAFT
Everyone loves a come-from-behind victory. We root for the underdog who's been
counted out and wait for him to rise from the mat with renewed vigor and tenacity.
And we applaud those who, like Chris Taft, refuse to be stopped by life's greatest
obstacles.
In 2004, Chris was on top of the basketball world. He'd just completed his freshman
season at the University of Pittsburgh, which ended in a Sweet 16 appearance in the
NCAA Basketball Tournament, and the personal accolades were numerous:
Freshman All-America honors from several voting organizations, the 203-04 Big
East Rookie of the Year Award, unanimous selection to the Big East All-Rookie Team
and team-leading tallies in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles.
Chris carried this momentum into his sophomore season, and with all eyes on him,
he didn't disappoint. Chris averaged 26.5 minutes, 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7
blocks per game, and even after a disappointing first round loss to University of
Pacific in the 2005 NCAA tournament, his basketball future seemed nothing but
bright.
But things aren't always what they seem.
Chris was selected as the 42nd pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Warriors, but he
only played in 17 games his rookie season due to lingering back pain from a fall
during a Summer League contest. Season-ending back surgery would have been
difficult enough to bear, but blood tests after the operation revealed something
much worse. In April 2006 Chris was diagnosed with Polymyositis, an autoimmune
disease that causes muscle weakness; he was released by the Warriors in October.
For other athletes, the story may have ended there—or perhaps with Chris's short
stint in the NBA Development League that culminated in a dislocated foot and an
ulcer caused by a faulty cast. But despite the dark days and the harrowing struggles
to get back on the court, Chris determined to press forward. He was chosen to play
with numerous international basketball teams, and he also launched his coaching
career, working with teams and individuals to take their games to the next level.
It's hard to imagine that Joseph, the great Biblical character who was thrown into a
well, sold into slavery and wrongly imprisoned before eventually being appointed to
Egypt's second-in-command, spent his years in jail just wanting to become free. He
had no idea that getting out of prison was only the beginning of what God had in
store for him.
Likewise, Chris has discovered that God's plans for him are bigger than he could
have ever imagined—and those plans extend well beyond the basketball court.
For the past five years, Chris has toured the country sharing his incredible
testimony. He's spoken at events held by churches and youth programs, as well as
large organizations including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Salvation
Army and the NBA. And he still picks up a basketball from time to time as well,
providing one-on-one training to the best young basketball talent and grounding
each session in the truth of God's grace and redemption.
"I used to ask myself why so many bad things kept happening to me, but now I
realize that I've been given a gift," says Chris. "I have the gift of knowing that it's
possible to walk through fire and come out on the other side without even smelling
like smoke. And I committed to sharing that gift with others."
Chris lives in Nashville with his wife, Dana, and their three children.
Everyone loves a come-from-behind victory. We root for the underdog who's been
counted out and wait for him to rise from the mat with renewed vigor and tenacity.
And we applaud those who, like Chris Taft, refuse to be stopped by life's greatest
obstacles.
In 2004, Chris was on top of the basketball world. He'd just completed his freshman
season at the University of Pittsburgh, which ended in a Sweet 16 appearance in the
NCAA Basketball Tournament, and the personal accolades were numerous:
Freshman All-America honors from several voting organizations, the 203-04 Big
East Rookie of the Year Award, unanimous selection to the Big East All-Rookie Team
and team-leading tallies in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles.
Chris carried this momentum into his sophomore season, and with all eyes on him,
he didn't disappoint. Chris averaged 26.5 minutes, 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7
blocks per game, and even after a disappointing first round loss to University of
Pacific in the 2005 NCAA tournament, his basketball future seemed nothing but
bright.
But things aren't always what they seem.
Chris was selected as the 42nd pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Warriors, but he
only played in 17 games his rookie season due to lingering back pain from a fall
during a Summer League contest. Season-ending back surgery would have been
difficult enough to bear, but blood tests after the operation revealed something
much worse. In April 2006 Chris was diagnosed with Polymyositis, an autoimmune
disease that causes muscle weakness; he was released by the Warriors in October.
For other athletes, the story may have ended there—or perhaps with Chris's short
stint in the NBA Development League that culminated in a dislocated foot and an
ulcer caused by a faulty cast. But despite the dark days and the harrowing struggles
to get back on the court, Chris determined to press forward. He was chosen to play
with numerous international basketball teams, and he also launched his coaching
career, working with teams and individuals to take their games to the next level.
It's hard to imagine that Joseph, the great Biblical character who was thrown into a
well, sold into slavery and wrongly imprisoned before eventually being appointed to
Egypt's second-in-command, spent his years in jail just wanting to become free. He
had no idea that getting out of prison was only the beginning of what God had in
store for him.
Likewise, Chris has discovered that God's plans for him are bigger than he could
have ever imagined—and those plans extend well beyond the basketball court.
For the past five years, Chris has toured the country sharing his incredible
testimony. He's spoken at events held by churches and youth programs, as well as
large organizations including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Salvation
Army and the NBA. And he still picks up a basketball from time to time as well,
providing one-on-one training to the best young basketball talent and grounding
each session in the truth of God's grace and redemption.
"I used to ask myself why so many bad things kept happening to me, but now I
realize that I've been given a gift," says Chris. "I have the gift of knowing that it's
possible to walk through fire and come out on the other side without even smelling
like smoke. And I committed to sharing that gift with others."
Chris lives in Nashville with his wife, Dana, and their three children.
