Jason A. Caffey has lived a life of success cultivated by years of hard work and resilient determination. This success began for the Mobile, Alabama, native when he was a teen after developing his talent for the game of basketball. The smallest player on the team his freshman year, quickly became the tallest player on the team by his senior year, leading Gatorade to name him its Alabama High School Basketball Player of the Year.

The 6’8” power forward continued this successful run during his four years at The University of Alabama. Even though he suffered two leg and ankle injuries – which would have sidelined most players – Caffey’s mental and physical toughness drove him to score 1,239 points and pull down 751 rebounds for the Crimson Tide during his All-SEC stellar career. It was this edge that attracted the attention of professional scouts and allowed him to be selected in 1995 by the Chicago Bulls as their first pick in the NBA draft.

However, Caffey believes his time in Chicago is when his real success began. Immediately winning two NBA World Championships during his first two years as a professional player and being surrounded by the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball not only pushed him to elevate his athleticism, but also his desire for success. Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and Scottie Pippin all had relentless work ethics and the ability to channel all of their energy for the good of the team.

After spending 10 years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors, and the Milwaukee Bucks, Caffey decided that the NBA would be his first and last employer. Over the next fifteen years he would live as an entrepreneur focusing on providing needed services to the communities where he lived. These businesses included daycare centers, group homes for disabled men, restaurants, and lounges. Additionally, he co-authored a book about puberty to help parents teach their children about sexuality. Richard and the Boyz: The Puberty Experience was co-authored with Nadine Pierre-Louis, a licensed marriage and family therapist and focuses on dispelling myths about human sexuality. Told through illustrations and conversations between two young boys and an adult, the story will empower youth.

Furthermore, Caffey has founded Universal Youth Foundation an Alabama-based non-profit which creates programming that target at-risk youth by instilling in them a love of knowledge and a love of self. The organization has launched a series of basketball camps in partnership with law enforcement and state officials to help bridge the gap between the community and police to prevent senseless deaths, while fostering communication and trust between the two groups.