James Hasty Recalls A Life Changing Event
He could have lost his life, but God chose to save him.
By Faith on the Field Staff, May 14th, 2022
James Hasty was selected in the third round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the New York Jets and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1997 and 1999. He starred at the cornerback position at Washington State University. Known for his aggressive bump and run coverage, Hasty teamed with Dale Carter to form one of the league's top cornerback duos while with the Chiefs.
Many people have had defining moments in life that really set their course in a completely different trajectory. Hasty is no exception and spoke to our own Rob Maaddi about it. One summer day Hasty and his fiancé were jet-skiing on a large lake when large, dark clouds started to accumulate in the distance.
“We got on our jet ski and we started riding and a friend of ours was on his and he's kind of going a little slow. We're trying to turn around and all of a sudden the weather changed. And I mean, we have been on the water for maybe 15 minutes. The weather starts to change. The wind starts coming through.”
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From there, things went from bad to worse for Hasty and his fiancé. The waves tossed them off their jet skis, and the jet skis were wash away by the waves of the coming storm. With just their life preservers, they waited for someone to rescue them. After being in the water for an hour and a half, things started to get desperate for Hasty. This is when he called out to the Lord.
“I mean, I'm tired now. I say, ‘Lord, whatever your will be, let it be.’ And I just leaned back and I just calmed my breathing. Cause I'm feeling like I'm about to drown, right? Because these waves are huge.”
God did hear his cry for help. They were both rescued. Hasty recognizes it was the grace of God that saved him.
“It's because of God. I tell people that God is real because when I asked him to, when I surrender to him, I said, ‘Lord, whatever your will is. I'm okay with it.’ You know, I don't want to die, which you know, but I'm sitting here for an hour and a half. I'm thinking that's around the corner, but man, he said, no, he said, no, James, I got something else for you.”
