Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) won its third state championship in 2024, a first in CAL history.
It was a special time for the school, the coaches and the athletes, but extra special for one particular player, wide receiver Britt Redman.
Britt comes from a long line of football athletes.
“My grandfather and my dad played for the University of Louisville, so I was third generation,” said Redman’s dad, Chris Redman. “I played nine years in the NFL and now Britt has won his third-straight state championship with CAL.”
Chris is the University of Louisville’s all-time passing leader with 12,541 yards. He’s one of only three Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks to throw for at least 12,000 yards in a career.
In college he was a two-time all-state quarterback and Parade’s National Player of the Year in 1994 before going on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl there, and then signing with the Atlanta Falcons for five more seasons.
Today he’s coaching quarterbacks on the CAL team and cheering on his son in football, but more importantly, in life.
One year ago Britt, a 16-year-old high school junior at the time, was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and perhaps for the first time in years, football would be put on the back burner.
“I wouldn’t want any parent to go through what we had to go through as far as conversations with the doctors,” Chris said. “When we found out it was testicular cancer, when we knew it was beatable and we had a chance to get through this, things just turned around.”
In what seemed like a whirlwind in November of 2023, Britt underwent six surgeries and four rounds of chemotherapy. He spent six months focused on nothing but getting better.
“At my lowest point I weighed in at 104 pounds,” Britt said. “My normal weight was about 185. That was pretty scary at the moment.”
Perhaps even more surprising to some, it never stopped Britt from moving forward. He thought he might not get to play his senior year, but the high school senior did what all of the Redmans do – he fought back.
“I was out of football for six months,” Britt said. “When I started going back, I was only doing spring practices. I was still pretty weak and didn’t have all my speed and strength yet. I’m really blessed to almost be back to my normal strength, speed and weight now. Six months after chemo, I scored my first touchdown.”
For Chris, his wife, Ashley, and Britt’s sister, Josie, it was heart-wrenching to watch him struggle with extreme illness, but the entire family remained by his side cheering him on.
“Ashley was a rock star through the whole process,” Chris said. “I was so proud of how she handled everything. People handle tragedies differently and you can learn a lot about a person when you see them going through a tough situation.”
Britt’s teammates had his back too.
“My team really rallied around me and supported me through everything,” Britt said. “They wore my number six on the back of their helmets and they all wore red at school because of my name. It was just really cool to see that, and I’m really grateful to be surrounded by their prayers and great people at Christian Academy.”
In March of 2024, doctors said Britt was officially in remission, making his senior year and eventual state championship even more special.
Looking forward, Britt hopes to attend the University of Mississippi with a major in finance and minor in communication.
“Winning the state championship is a great note to go out on my football career, and I was really thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to come back,” Britt said. “I’ve had a great time and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m happy to have made it to the championship with my team.”
He doesn’t think football is in his future, but he knows giving back and inspiring others is.
“I want to develop a foundation to raise funds for kids who have cancer,” he said. “I’ve been there and know what it’s like. There were younger kids than me on the same floor and they had it a lot worse than me.”
It’s taking the perseverance and drive that football requires to a whole new level.
“I think we can turn this into a positive and help the many other kids who are in the hospital and scared to death,” Chris said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next and here’s Britt, eight months later after his last chemotherapy. He’s on the football field, making touchdowns and he has this opportunity. I had a platform of playing professional football and God gave him the platform of being a young cancer survivor. To me it’s a blessing and I’m proud of him for using it.”
The foundation will likely be launched in the summer of 2025 and a local physician has already expressed interest in partnering with the Redmans.
“We’re going to do a lot of cool things with schools in this state and across the country, so we’re excited to take this thing to the national level,” Chris said. “It’s also a great opportunity for Britt to learn about business, how to help others, and it’s a great opportunity for him to grow as a person.”
Looking back at the way his team rallied around him and his family stood by his side, Britt hopes to spread a positive message, and to never forget the way God has worked in his life.
“I want to encourage kids to stay positive,” he said. “When you say we’re going to get through this and we’re going to beat this, it really has an effect on your mental health and then how your body will perform throughout all that. It’s like in a football game. A lot of it is mental. A lot of it is in between your ears.”
