It didn’t take Lake coach Tate Hanna to figure out he had something special in Zeke Chapman.
Not only does Chapman look like a college football player, he has a high football IQ to go along with the frame. That’s why Chapman is the latest addition to the Newton County Appeal’s Elite 11.
Hanna, who took over for Lee Martin in April, was quick to see the potential in Chapman.
“He has a great attitude and is the kind of kid you want to build your team around,” Hanna said. “Of course, I thought he was the No. 1 defensive player that they had last year. We will move him around some this year. On offense, we will move him back to tight end with the style of offense that we are going to run. He has a chance to have a really good year.
Former coach Lee Martin had nothing but praise for the big man as well.
“He’s another one of those kids that comes from a great family,” Martin said. “He’s a big kid and just so smart. He got to the point where he told other people what to do on defense last year. He knew his role and understands football. And he’s a totally unselfish player. He’s always played tight end but we had some injuries on the offensive line and moved inside for us last year. But he’s got good hands and moves really for his size.”
With his 6-foot-2, 266-pound frame, Chapman has drawn plenty of interest from colleges already. He was offered by Jackson State and Hinds last year and has gotten interest from several other junior colleges.
“Jackson State offered me last year and I’ve talked with Alcorn,” Chapman said. “One coach at Alcorn wants me to play defense and another wants me to play tight end. But every other college wants me to play defensive line. I think I am more of a defensive player though. I can use my quickness more to my advantage on defense. I think I’m pretty quick, quicker than a lot of skill people.”
After going 1-9 last year and suffering an ACL injury in the seventh game of the season against Puckett, Chapman is eager to wash the bad taste from his mouth.
“Last year was really hard,” Chapman said. “It was hard when I hurt my knee, standing over there on the sideline and not able to do anything about it. But you have to push through it and set the bar higher the next time. If you set your bar low, you are going to get low results. I see a lot more leader ship, focus and determination in our team this year.”
With a good season, Chapman is likely to draw plenty of attention. Chapman has already made a 21 on the ACT and carries a 3.4 GPA. He says he wants to either be a registered nurse, chemical engineer or neurophycologist.
“He was had a lot of interest from colleges over the spring,” Hanna said. “Some of them may have backed off after he got hurt but I suspect that will pick back up. He tore his ACL in the seventh game of the season last year. He has worked hard and will have to continue to work hard this summer to get to where he needs to be. It would surprise me if he picked up some offers from four-year schools.”
