Central Michigan University Athletics
Chapman Bides His Time, Breaks Out
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - If you don't grow, if you don't adapt, you're doomed. And to go from good to great, there has to be a willingness to learn, to change.
Mark Chapman arrived at Central Michigan in 2013 from Port Huron High School, where he played quarterback and had arguably one of the greatest careers in state high school history, rushing for more than 5,000 yards and running for 44 touchdowns in the Macomb Area Conference, generally recognized as one of the state's top prep football leagues.
Video evidence of Chapman's prowess is readily available on YouTube, and it's a dazzling display of stutter-stepping quickness, elusiveness and blinding speed.
But when he came to CMU, his days as a signal-caller were finished.
"They basically told me from the get-go, they liked me as an athlete more than as a quarterback," Chapman said of his recruitment to CMU. "I was totally fine with that. I was down to play wideout in college because I felt like my athleticism would be a great contribution to the team and I'd be able to do good things."
He's only begun to scratch the surface of his potential. As a wide receiver, the 6-foot, 181-pound sophomore has enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, one of a number of speedy and sure-handed pass-catchers in an offense that averages 305 yards per game through the air, a number that ranks second in the Mid-American Conference and 20th nationally.
Chapman enters Saturday's game at Akron with 27 catches for 398 yards. He is second on the team with a 14.7 yards-per-catch average, and last week he caught six passes for a career-high 100 yards in a 23-21 victory at Ball State.
It marked the third time this season that Chapman has hauled in six passes, his career-best. The versatile Chapman has also run the ball eight times for 65 yards and a touchdown. He holds on placekicks and is the backup deep man on kickoffs. Against Ball State, he returned one kickoff for 27 yards.
He also carries a 3.55 grade point average, graduated from high school with a 3.75, and was a member of the National Honor Society at Port Huron.
"I don't know where to begin to be honest," CMU assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Mose Rison said. "He is a tremendous football player, a tremendous student, with tremendous character.
"From a coaching standpoint, you love that he has great speed, he is a outstanding athlete, he has great hands."
And now, a little patience.
Like most freshmen, Chapman waited in near anonymity while red-shirting as a freshman. The following year, he broke his collarbone, an injury that sidelined him until the midway point of the 2014 season, and he caught just one pass a year ago.
He also backed up a guy named Titus Davis on the Chippewa depth chart. Davis, now a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad, was one of the all-time best receivers ever to play at CMU.
"That probably has a lot to do in terms of why (Chapman) didn't touch the field," Rison said. "Nothing against Mark in that regard because Titus was obviously a good football player. Mark was just biding his time, waiting his turn, so to speak."
Red-shirting, backing up Davis, and rehabilitating an injury that required surgery may have helped to keep Chapman grounded. Still, he never lost his confidence or his swagger.
"I definitely came in having high expectations for myself and so did those around me, so it's kind of nice to get the ball rolling," he said. "Actually being able to contribute to my team, it just feels nice.
"I've just grown to know the offense better. I know where I fit in the offense and I know how to read defenses better. It's physical, but I think it's even more mental as a player. I'm a lot more confident."
He also had a learning curve that most college football players don't endure, necessitated by a position switch. He had to learn to run routes, block and catch passes. He was rarely called upon to do any of those things as a high school player.
"Mark played quarterback 99 percent of the time in high school and very little wide receiver, so a lot of his development has taken place since he has been here," Rison said. "He feels very good about where he is right now as a football player, and when you can play with that kind of swagger it creates a level of confidence.
"He plays with a high level of confidence which allows him to be the football player that he is. I'm not overwhelmed, I'm not surprised by what he is doing. He had to wait his turn and now he is showing what he can do."
