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Chase's turn for the better pays off
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
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Recruiting Class of 2016 Thumbnail Sketches...
Justin Chase was once trouble off the
football field, but these days he's become a problem on it for opposing
defenses.
Chase, from Chesapeake, VA, is a
rising senior at Great Bridge High School. He was a second-team All-PenSouth
Conference selection on the offensive line during only his second year
or competitive football in 2014, but that was all East Carolina needed
to see to offer the 6-foot-6, 280-pounder a scholarship. Chase accepted
June 6 while on campus for an unofficial visit.
The verbal commitment is the fifth
for ECU's
recruiting class of 2016 and the second straight from
an offensive lineman.
Chase chose the Pirates over an offer
list that included Appalachian State, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina,
Delaware, James Madison, N.C. State, Old Dominion, Temple and Towson.
Head coach Ruffin McNeill personally
extended a scholarship offer to Chase when he was on campus last April.
So when Chase decided to make his pledge to the Pirates, he wanted to do
so in person.
“I wanted to be face-to-face with
Coach McNeill and (offfensive line) Coach (Brad) Davis,'' Chase said. “I
have so much respect for both of them that I wanted to tell them in
person.
“I just really see myself fitting
into that (football) program. They have high hopes for me and my
potential. They believe in me. Plus, they have a great sports management
program down there I want to major in, and the facilities are awesome.''
Playing college football, however,
wasn't on Chase's mind a few short years ago.
He spent most of his middle school
years struggling with behavioral problems and never played a down of
football. When Chase did play any sports, it was with AAU basketball
teams during the summer.
“I got into trouble throughout middle
school,'' Chase said. “It's wasn't drugs or any of that stuff. It was
just my behavior, which affected my grades.
“But then in the 9th and 10th grades
I started getting my act together. I thought about going to college and
finding a way that my parents wouldn't have to pay for it. I started
playing football and turning my grades around. That's why I feel so
blessed that East Carolina offered me.''
Chase played right tackle initially
for the Great Bridge junior varsity as a 10th grader before being
promoted to the varsity for the last two games of the 2013 season to
play right guard. He hit a major growth spurt between his sophomore and
junior years, growing from 6-1, 220 pounds to close to his current size.
The physical change helped him become a varsity starter at left tackle
for the 2014 season.
The Pirates were able to take
advantage of a pre-existing relationship between Chase and Davis.
Davis was the first college coach to
offer Chase a scholarship while he was still working as co-offensive
coordinator and offensive line coach at James Madison. The former
Oklahoma offensive lineman was hired by McNeill as ECU's running game
coordinator and offensive line coach in mid-February and he immediately
extended a scholarship offer from his new school to Chase.
“He (Davis) said I was his first
scholarship offer to an offensive lineman, and I felt real blessed about
that,'' Chase said. “I came down to visit during a Junior Day in April
and thought I'd just be part of the crowd and nothing special.
“But they took me to a seat right
next to Coach McNeill. Coach McNeill and Coach Davis didn't sugarcoat
anything. They talked to me like a man and told me what I needed to do
to play at the next level. They cared about me, and not just about
football, but about grades and me physically. They love their players,
but they'll be hard on their players at the same time.''
ECU has recruited Chase as an
offensive lineman who could wind up playing any of the three positions.
“Coach Davis said they were
recruiting me as an offensive guard or offensive tackle, but he said I
could also play center,'' Chase said. “They like my footwork and my
speed, which is why they think I could play any of the spots.''
Chase plays in a Great Bridge program
that's produced several college offensive linemen in recent years,
including Tony Williams of Old Dominion and Garrett Watts of Air Force.
He joins
Cortez
Herrin from Saluda, SC, as offensive linemen in the
ECU recruiting class of 2016.
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06/11/2015 03:51 AM |
