7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story Parent Guide

Paralyzed and lying in a hospital bed, Chris Norton has a critical realization: “The little things I do extra are going to make the difference between what I can and cannot do.” This insight will guide Chris’s life for the next seven years and will be the beginning of a miracle.

A few short days before, Chris was playing football for Iowa’s Luther College when a freak accident led to a spinal cord injury that eliminated sensation and movement below his neck. “It felt as if someone just turned the power off to my body and I couldn’t feel a thing,” the young athlete said.

Luckily for Chris, he was airlifted to the Mayo clinic where he received outstanding medical and rehabilitative care. But getting out of the hospital was only the beginning…

7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story is a documentary about the years after Chris’s accident. As I watched Chris regain sensation and movement, enabling him to walk down the aisle at his wedding, I realized that his miracle did not simply happen. Chris can do remarkable things because of his fierce will and work ethic, a loving and encouraging family, and an incredibly supportive community.

Documentaries aren’t usually popular choices for family movie night, but I’m going to recommend this film unreservedly for tweens and teens. There are just enough sports to draw them in, but they will be held by the undeniable power of Chris’s story. And who wouldn’t want adolescents to learn about the benefits of unrelenting hard work and a stubborn refusal to quit?

Also beneficial for young viewers are the movie’s inspiring messages about family and community. I wasn’t surprised by the devotion of Chris’s parents, but I was amazed by his friends. Less than a year after the accident, Chris returns to college, living in the dorm with his buddies. Astonishingly for 19 year olds, his friends rise to the challenge of caregiving, helping Chris dress, brush his teeth, and get to his classes. And they ensure that he’s part of the social whirl, going out of their way to include him at parties and inner tubing down the river.

The best part of the film comes when Chris meets Emily Summers, a small town Iowa girl with a passion for helping kids in the foster care program. It’s love at first sight for Chris and pretty soon Emily doesn’t see the wheelchair anymore. Watching this young couple face and overcome their challenges to create a new family is a joy-filled, heartwarming experience.

Packed full of positive messages, 7 Yards is a surefire win for family viewing. Christian families will appreciate the Norton family’s strong faith, but this isn’t a preachy film and won’t turn off viewers who don’t share the same beliefs. The movie’s lessons about the power of love, faith, and unrelenting effort will encourage and uplift audiences lucky enough to watch this young man’s remarkable journey.