Tarmac Online

By Blake Lou Weaver ’27

Hundreds of guest speakers have shared their stories and wisdom with the students of Chaminade High School. However, as students gathered in the Activity-Athletic Center on October 9, 2025, the story of former NBA player Chris Herren was unlike anything the Flyers had heard before. 

Fall River, Massachusetts, a small mill town near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, was where Herren’s story began. It was here that Herren discovered his God-given ability to play basketball. By the time he was a senior at BMC Durfee High School, Herren was the best high school basketball player in Massachusetts, having scored over 2,000 points throughout the course of his career. In 1994 he was named a McDonald’s All-American player, a title bestowed upon only the very best high school basketball players in the nation. 

Herren then committed to play Division 1 basketball at Boston College. It seemed like the perfect story: a homegrown superstar was going to make his mark on a program that brought pride to the whole state of Massachusetts. His commitment was celebrated, and Herren was even featured in Sports Illustrated.

During his freshman year, Herren’s life changed forever—but not in the way that anyone would have thought. One day as he was returning to his dorm, he opened the door to find his roommate and his roommate’s friends doing cocaine. They offered some to Herren and, although he initially refused, he decided to accept their offer. It was at this moment that Herren’s life began to be controlled by drugs. 

After failing multiple drug tests, Herren was expelled from BC. With the hope of starting over, he transferred to California State University, Fresno. But despite this new beginning, Herren became more and more tangled up in the mess that is drug addiction. Although drugs caused him plenty of issues off the court, on the court Herren was playing incredibly. He was selected 33rd overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.

In Denver, Herren was surrounded by older teammates and supportive coaches who made sure to watch over him and help him avoid drugs. Herren was in a great situation, but this did not last very long as he was traded after his rookie year. 

But this was it, the moment that Herren had grown up dreaming of: he was going to play for the Boston Celtics. It was his team, and he was the hometown kid. It seemed like he was finally going to be able to achieve his perfect story, but once again it was too good to be true. Being back in the area in which he grew up, it was much easier for Herren to get in contact with his local drug dealers. This meant that Herren’s addiction only got worse. 

During his time with the Celtics, Herren became addicted to painkillers and eventually heroin. In 2001 he was released from the team, and his drug addiction became even more harmful. He was constantly in and out of rehab centers, which strained his relationship with his family. During this time, Herren also suffered from suicidal thoughts as a result of the stress and pain he was causing his family. 

Herren went on to play basketball overseas for a few years, and now his drug use was at a critical point. He was arrested for possession of heroin, and in 2008 Herren overdosed and crashed his car into a telephone pole. He was dead for thirty seconds before being resuscitated. This was rock bottom.

It was at this moment that Herren decided to stop letting drugs be the author of his story. He fully committed to becoming sober and has been drug- and alcohol-free since August 1, 2008. 

Herren has since used his experiences to help others. He founded the nonprofit Herren Project, which raises awareness and helps those suffering from substance abuse. Herren has spoken to over two million people, including students and athletes of all ages. 

Mr. Robert Paul ’92, Principal of Chaminade High School, played a key role in bringing Herren to campus. Mr. Paul believed Herren could bring an important perspective to the Chaminade community—a perspective that Chaminade was not used to hearing. Since Herren was a sports figure, Mr. Paul believed that Herren would be someone with whom the students of Chaminade could easily connect. Most importantly though, Mr. Paul hoped that because of how profound Herren’s story is, his words would really resonate with students and be talked about long after the assembly was over.  

“Extremely powerful and moving” is how Alex Patney ’27 described his experience listening to Herren. “Usually these stories seem so faraway, because I know I’ll probably never meet these people face-to-face. However, when Herren came out to speak, it became real all at once. Listening to him speak and seeing him in person connected him to me. I really thought about what he was saying, and especially how the first step to dealing with substance issues is to take a look at yourself. I know I definitely did that after listening to him speak.”

After the school day was over, Herren returned to Chaminade to give a presentation to over 400 parents and alumni. Even some teachers, who were so moved by Herren’s speech during the day, came back for the evening event.

“More raw and unfiltered” is how Mr. Paul explained the nighttime message, which was a different version of the daytime presentation. Herren addressed substance abuse from the parents’ perspective, and what they can do to help prevent and deal with substance abuse. In addition to Herren’s talk, there was more opportunity for members of the Chaminade community to share their experiences. This helped show many in the audience that if they are dealing with something, they are not alone. This opportunity was immensely valuable to everyone who attended. 

Herren’s story is deep. It is profound. Sometimes, it is hard to listen to. When you listen, you keep thinking, “surely it has to get better now,” but it does not. At the same time, his story is incredibly important to hear because it shows the dangers that can come from substance abuse, while also showing how simple changes you make in your life can help prevent substance-related issues. 

Herren’s story may be different from the stories most Chaminade students hear, but there is no doubt that it was one of the most important ones.