Central Michigan University Athletics
Chapman Goes No. 1 In CFL Draft
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
TORONTO - Mark Chapman is a professional football player, and he made some history in doing so.
Chapman, a former Central Michigan standout, was selected first overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday in the Canadian Football League draft.
He is the first Chippewa ever selected with the No. 1 pick in the CFL draft and is the second CMU player taken No. 1 in a professional football draft. Offensive tackle Eric Fisher went No. 1 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 NFL draft.
"Definitely a relief, finally having some clarity," said Chapman, who was with a slew of family and friends at the family home in Port Huron when news of his selection came via telephone just after 8 p.m. "It's a stressful time behind closed doors for the athletes. I'm just excited. To go No. 1 overall, it's surreal. I never envisioned myself in this position."
Chapman was eligible for the CFL draft because he holds dual citizenship. His mother, Pattie, was born in Sarnia, Ontario, which is on the Canadian side of the Blue Water Bridge. On the Michigan side of the bridge is Port Huron, which is where Chapman was born and raised. His father, James, is an American citizen.
"The house is packed with grandparents and my aunts are going crazy right now," Chapman said. "I got the call and everybody was shushing everybody so I could hear on the phone. Really emotional for my mother and my dad and my whole entire family. They're just super excited."
The sure-handed and shifty Chapman, who is listed at 6 foot and 180 pounds, completed an excellent four-year CMU career last fall. He led the Chippewas with 59 catches for 875 yards in 2017, and finished his career with 147 receptions for 2,035 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His skill set would appear to be a perfect fit in a pass-heavy league in which quick receivers with the ability to perform catch-and-run routes are prized and the run game is de-emphasized. There are several glaring rule differences between American and Canadian football, including one that allows receivers to get a running start going toward the line.
"The biggest adjustment is really to master that waggle, that running start," he said. "I think it's an advantage to me as a wideout. I worked on it for a couple of weeks before the CFL combine. It makes route running a lot more fun and exciting."
Hamilton traded up in order to take Chapman. The Tiger-Cats originally had the No. 2 pick, but swapped with Montreal for the top spot. Chapman had been projected to go to Hamilton before the trade. His brother, Jarret, also a former Chippewa, spent a season with the Tiger-Cats.
"They must like me and that's definitely a good thing for me," Chapman said in regard to the Tiger-Cats trading up. "I took a visit this past weekend to Hamilton and got some medical (evaluations). I was getting a lot of love there and I was falling in love with the idea of going to Hamiliton and I know I shouldn't do that. I'm eager to get there and join my teammates there and get to work.
"(Jarret) said, 'If you go to Hamilton, you're going to love it.' I'm really excited that Hamilton took me."
Chapman also has a minicamp invitation on the table from the New York Giants of the NFL. He said he likely will attend the camp with the Tiger-Cats' blessing.
"I'm just happy to be a part of the Hamilton organization," he said. "It's a great run-and-gun offense that I think I fit well in."
CMU becomes the sixth American university to have had the first overall pick in both the CFL and NFL drafts. Syracuse, Utah, Washington State, Oklahoma and Iowa are the others.
Chapman is the first wide receiver since 1997 taken with the No. 1 pick in the CFL draft. The last Chippewa selected in the first round of the CFL draft was defensive back Eric Fraser, who was selected No. 8 by Calgary in 2009.
