COMMERCE CITY — When the Broncos drafted Tim Tebow, Rapids midfielder Wells Thompson was thrilled for reasons that had little to do with how well Tebow can throw a football.
Thompson is an evangelical Christian who has gone on missions to the Dominican Republic, Kenya and Zimbabwe. He has slept in mud huts with African tribes and is a regular at his team’s Bible study meetings. He considers Tebow a great role model.
“He’s an inspiration to anybody who loves Jesus, especially to an athlete who loves Jesus,” said Thompson, 26. “Especially to me, because I haven’t always been open about my faith. The older I get, I’m trying to be more open, I’m trying to live for Christ.”
But Thompson’s journey hasn’t been without severe trials and tribulations. He succumbed to the temptations of alcohol and drugs before he was old enough to drive, and if not for a dramatic intervention when he was forceably taken from home and transported to a therapeutic boarding school, he might not have survived adolescence.
“He’s not only recovered, but can use this in mighty ways for a lot of other families,” said Thompson’s father, Mark. “He’s met with a number of children and parents whose children have experienced similar things in the hopes that he can be of help to them.”
Growing up in Winston-Salem, N.C., Thompson showed exceptional soccer ability and a heart for the underdog at an early age. When it was time to pick teams for games, Thompson would choose kids whom others picked on.
But in the seventh and eighth grade, he rebelled and began smoking and drinking. When he got to high school, his life quickly unraveled.
“I started getting heavily involved with drugs and alcohol,” Thompson said. “I say, ‘Running with the bad crowd,’ but I was the bad crowd. I was running away from home, getting in trouble with the law.”
His sophomore year, he stopped going to school, and his terrified parents decided to send him to boarding school in upstate New York for 18 months. One night his father walked into his bedroom with two “escorts” who were there to take him away.
“My dad said, ‘I love you, son, but you’re going away for a little while,’ ” Thompson said. “Two guys came in and they were like, ‘You’re coming with us.’ We fought, they handcuffed me, threw me in the back of a black Tahoe and drove me 12 hours up to New York.”
That year and a half in seclusion could have ended Thompson’s chances for a soccer career, but he made the most of his second chance, walking on at Wake Forest and earning a scholarship. There he lapsed back into drinking and drugs, but, during his junior year, he went on a religious mission to the Dominican Republic that turned his life around for good.
“One thing with missions is you sign up to go help people, but in reality they give you so much more than you could ever give them,” Thompson said. “It was spring break, a different kind of spring break for me — I was used to going to parties in Mexico. But that’s one of the most defining moments of my faith. God was tugging at my heart to wake me up.”
That was the end of Thompson’s partying ways.
“I remember coming back from that trip (feeling) guilty for the way I lived my life, for endless nights my parents cried, hurting them, yelling at them, fighting with them,” Thompson said.
One can still hear the pain in his father’s voice when he recalls the night he sent his son away. But Mark Thompson sees it as a tale of redemption too.
“It was gut-wrenching to have to get to that decision, but it was trying to save his life,” Mark Thompson said. “It is just incredible what He has done — what the Lord has done.”
Like Tebow, Thompson wants to use his platform as a professional athlete to share his faith. Thompson also hopes his story can spare other families the pain he has had to endure.
“I feel so blessed, to have all that happen, to be where I am,” Thompson said. “God gives us all a platform to speak from, to influence and to help those around us.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
Thompson/glance
Age: 26
Position: Midfielder
College: Wake Forest
MLS career: Chosen in the first round of the 2007 draft by New England with the fifth pick. Played three seasons with the Revolution, starting in 36 regular-season games. Acquired by Colorado in a January trade in exchange for Preston Burpo, Cory Gibbs, allocation money and a draft pick.
This season: 12 games played (five starts)
Coach Gary Smith’s take: “He’s much more competitive than I expected. He’s physically very robust, he’s got a very competitive streak in him, he’s a good athlete, he’s a very fit boy and he’s improving all the time with his techniques and his ability to be creative.”
