Christopher Eugene Respress is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

. He played football and also ran

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

collegiately at

Defiance College The Defiance College is a private college located in Defiance, Ohio, United States. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the campus includes eighteen buildings and access to the Thoreau Wildlife Sanctuary. The college is accredited by t ...

Early life

Chris was a graduate of Meadowdale High School in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. He excelled in both football and track & field.

College career

Chris attended

, an

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...

institution in

Defiance, Ohio Defiance is a city in Defiance County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,066 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers about southwest of Toledo and northeast of For ...

. He was a standout member of both the football and track & field teams. While on the football team, Chris played under coaches Robert Taylor and Greg Pscodna. Respress's track school record places. *He's tied for 5th fastest 100 M Dash times in school history with - 10.83 (2001) *He owns the 4th fastest 200 M Dash time in school history with - 22.76 (2001) *Owns the 10th longest jump in the school's Long Jump history with - 20' 8" (2003) *Owns the 8th longest jump in the school's Triple Jump history with - 41' 8" (2001)

Professional career

In 2007, Respress quickly jumped at the opportunity to try out for the local indoor football team, the

Miami Valley Silverbacks The Dayton Silverbacks were a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The franchise started as the Miami Valley Silverbacks and joined the CIFL in 2007 af ...

. He made the team and played 3 seasons for them starting as a cornerback, and occasionally returning kicks. He helped the team to their first ever playoff berth. In 2008, he had 47 tackles and 5 interceptions. In 2010, Respress left the more local Silverbacks, to join the newly founded

Cincinnati Commandos The Cincinnati Commandos were a professional indoor football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team suspended operations for the 2013 season, with hope of returning in 2014. They began play in 2010 as an expansion team in the Continental Ind ...

. He contributed 16.5 tackles and three interceptions while starting in a defensive backfield that proved to be the league's best, en route to

CIFL Championship Game The CIFL championship game was the annual championship game of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). In 2006, it was the meeting of the two semifinal game winners. Following the 2007 and 2008 season, the game was between the Great Lakes ...

victory. In 2011, he returned to the Silverbacks, as the team relocated to Dayton. Respress went on to have quite possibly the best season of his indoor football career posting 18.5 tackles, one sack and eight interceptions while leading the Silverbacks to an appearance in the CIFL Playoffs. He was named the 2011 CIFL Defensive Player of the Year, while playing for Defensive Coordinator,

Lorenzo Styles Lorenzo Cavelle Styles (born January 31, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He spent half a season as ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Respress, Chris Living people American football defensive backs Dayton Sharks players Cincinnati Commandos players Defiance Yellow Jackets football players Players of American football from Dayton, Ohio Year of birth missing (living people) College men's track and field athletes in the United States