Jan. 25, 2018
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Every time he shoots a trois -- French for three -- Chris Lofton outlives cancer.
The SEC's career leader in 3-pointers, Lofton plays for Le Mans in France, his ninth season playing professional basketball in Europe.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, Lofton's coach at Tennessee, calls Chris "one of the greatest shooters, if not the best shooter in the history of the SEC."
Lofton's 431 3-pointers, 64 more than the SEC's next most lethal sharpshooter, back up Pearl's lofty assessment.
"It's a great compliment," Lofton said by phone from France. "He's coached a lot of great shooters. For him to mention me, I'm just happy to be in the conversation."
The SEC's Player of the Year in 2007, Lofton led UT to the Sweet 16 his junior season. When Lofton failed a drug test after an NCAA Tournament game, Pearl knew something was amiss.
The doctor outlined three possibilities: steroids, pregnancy or testicular cancer.
"I was cheering for pregnant," Pearl joked.
Chris Lofton
As unwelcome as it was, the failed test turned out to be a lifesaver.
"If not for a random drug test, Chris Lofton may have never found out he had cancer," Pearl said. "The rest of the story is that through chemo, radiation and surgery, Chris battled it."
After Lofton's senior season, Pearl, prompted by a team manager, created OUTLVE to promote cancer screenings for early detection, and to raise money to support cancer patients.
A decade later, AUTLIVE lives on at Auburn. During Saturday's 5 p.m. game against LSU, Auburn students in The Jungle will wear navy AUTLIVE t-shirts, a gift from Pearl. When fans purchase the $20 shirt, proceeds will go to local cancer patients who need financial assistance.
"Auburn Basketball cares and Auburn Basketball's fan base cares that they are battling cancer, and that they are not going through this alone," Pearl said.
At the time, Lofton carefully guarded his diagnosis and treatment. Even most of his teammates were unaware. It took time for him to agree to be part of an awareness campaign.
"At first, I was very reluctant about doing it," said Lofton, who has also played for pro teams in Russia, Turkey and Lithuania. "I didn't want to talk about it, but the more I thought about it and prayed about it, I knew there were people in my situation who needed encouragement, so I felt like I had to be there for other people and I quit thinking about myself."
When Lofton struggled to regain his magic shooting touch his senior season while undergoing radiation, his teammates -- even those who didn't know he had cancer -- encouraged him.
"It makes a big difference," he said. "When I was going through radiation, I fought my battle on my own, but I had God with me. It was a tough time but I had great teammates and coaching staff. They really helped me during my senior year, when they didn't even know it."
Ten years after his last SEC 3, Chris Lofton is still on target, allowing his story to inspire.
"That's what it's all about, helping others," he said. "That's something I've always loved doing."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer