Lucas: Chaney just starting to write his own story
November 02, 2022 | Football, Mike Lucas
Sophomore inside linebacker taking advantage of increased role
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Two years ago, Jake Chaney was a high school senior, 3-star linebacker and budding author. Prior to signing with Wisconsin (December, 2020), he wrote a first-person account of his recruiting experience for his hometown newspaper, the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press.
From start ("Dear Southwest Florida") to finish ("Go Badgers"), it was refreshing and revealing.
Chaney spoke of growing up with a dream to play "big-time college football" only to have some serious reservations and self-doubts as a freshman and sophomore because he was "undersized, inexperienced and afraid" making him think the dream was "out of reach or unrealistic."
But he refused to accept that fate and "I worked as hard as I could in the weight room and field to become a better, more developed player." Still, he pointed out, "My junior season had gone by, and no D-1 schools contacted me. All hope was lost until I received a random message …"
From a UW recruiter. That led to a campus visit with his dad, James Chaney, who was also his head coach at Lehigh High School (in suburban Fort Myers). Jake wrote, "People expected me to hate it, but I loved it. I got to experience some of the best traditions in college football."
Once offered, he spoke of "all the time and heartbreak" that went into it from "the long nights when you're in the weight room wondering if it's worth it" to "waking up in the morning questioning if you're good enough" to "people making fun of you because you want to workout instead of hangout."
But in the end, he concluded "It was worth it." Looking ahead to the early signing day, as a member of Wisconsin's 2021 recruiting class, he spoke of "Putting on that white and red hat … in front of my whole family is a blessing I'll never take for granted."
Earlier this week, Chaney revisited that timeline, the part where Jim Leonhard made a trip to his high school before the Badgers had offered a scholarship. Both Jake and his dad viewed it as a pretty big deal that a Big Ten defensive coordinator would be committed enough to show up in person at Lehigh.
"That night," Chaney remembered, "he called and said I had an offer."
That Leonhard is now serving as Wisconsin's interim head coach has expanded the storyline.
"He played football for a long time," Chaney said of Leonhard, a three-time UW All-American and 10-year NFL vet, "and he understands how we're feeling. He's a down-to-earth dude. He doesn't walk around with big pants on or an ego. He's a coach that a player can look up to. My dad loves him."
You can certainly understand why that would be the case. Leonhard turned 40 last week. And he talked about the energy that is part of his makeup. As a recruiter. As a DC. As a head coach. "You have to be able to match high school and college players' energies and I think I do a good job of that," he said.
"The number one response you're getting from high school coaches and high school athletes, even young college players, a lot of them are feeling that they're getting lied to. There's a lot of mixed messaging in recruiting right now.
"The more honest and real – even if it's something they don't want to hear – the more open and honest and real you are with guys, it goes a long way. That's how I try to treat our players when they get here. But it starts in the recruiting process with their coaches, their families."
Leonhard believes in "being open with who you are and what your plan is." It's something that tends to resonate with parents. So does Leonhard's demeanor. It's the vibe that he gives off. "I'm very confident in who I am and the people I surround myself with," he said. "I think they feel that."
James Chaney felt that during the recruiting process. He has a comparable spirit and confidence born out of his own athletic and coaching success. He was an All-State defensive lineman at North Fort Myers High School, the same program that turned out Deion Sanders, Jevon Kearse, et al.
Chaney played at Florida State for the legendary Bobby Bowden. Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Leroy Butler and Charlie Ward were among his teammates in Tallahassee. He got involved with coaching at the youth level, the Fort Myers Firecats, a Pop Warner team. In 2014, he was named Lehigh's head coach.
 "It was nice growing up – you got two points of views of the game – from playing it and how coach views the game," Jake Chaney said of being a coach's kid. "We really didn't go over scheme. But we talked about how you develop players and attack things.
"He taught me all these drills – every drill possible I could do on my own whether running, cutting, or changing direction. He taught me how to lift in the weight room. And I remember we used to run track when we were young, and he taught me how to run.
"I got to work with him for a year in Pop Warner and four straight years in high school. He wasn't my position coach or defensive coordinator. And he told me that he wasn't going to force the other coaches to play me. Everything I get has to be earned.
"At the end of the day, he was more of a father than a coach.
"When we got home, it was more about life instead of football."
Jake Chaney has met many of his dad's Florida State teammates, including "Prime" – the head coach at Jackson State. He played with Sanders' kids and recalled a phone conversation with Butler, the former Packer safety, and a recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee. "It's like a huge family," Jake said.
Speaking of which, he's the youngest of James and Tray Chaney's four kids. His brother, James "Bud" Chaney is a running back at Valdosta State. "He always supported me, always cheered for me," Jake said. "We were always competitive with each other. He was a great role model to look up to."
Saturday's game against Maryland will have a "family" feel for Chaney because of his Florida connection with some of the Terps: defensive lineman Quashon Fuller, linebacker Fa'Najae Gotay and wide receiver Jeshaun Jones. "I played Pop Warner with those dudes," he said. "I grew up with them."
Meanwhile, Chaney is in the equivalent of a growth spurt as one of the UW's inside linebackers, a rotating crew that also features Jordan Turner, Maema Njongmeta and Tatum Grass. Njongmeta leads the defense with 54 tackles. Turner is tied for No. 3, Chaney is No. 7, and Grass is tied for No 9.
"Those are my brothers," Chaney said. "We're really close. We spent a lot of time with each other, and we've been competing for a long time now. Coach D (Mark D'Onofrio) gives us opportunities to put what we have on the field, and I respect him for that. It makes us all the closer.
"Right now, we're still competing for time and still developing our roles. At the beginning of the year, none of us had any film, none of us had any proof that we could play the game. There was a lot of pressure. Now, having some games under my belt, I feel more confident and comfortable out there.
"I feel like the coaches are trusting me more, too."
That's certainly true of Leonhard. "I'm very excited with what Jake has done," Leonhard said. "Coming out of camp, it was a big-time battle (at inside linebacker) and we felt like we had four guys that not only could play but we needed to play.
"When he has been healthy, Jake has been very consistent. He's a fun player to coach because his focus is extremely high, and his consistency and play has been there week-in and week-out in whatever role that we've asked him to do.
"I'm excited coming down the stretch that we quite possibly have these guys as healthy as they've been all season as a group. We're just trying to find a way to make them most impactful on defense as well as the role they're going to have on special teams."
Over his 16-game UW career, spanning two seasons and one start, Chaney has some memorable "firsts" – whether it was his first tackle (Army, 2021), first interception (New Mexico State) or first sack (Purdue). Of the three, he insisted the most meaningful was that tackle on a kickoff return.
"We did a cross-field kick, I got off a block and made the tackle," he said proudly of his first and only stop in 2021. Even though he rarely saw the field while appearing in nine games, mostly on special teams, he admitted, "Preparing for a game with Jack (Sanborn) and Leo (Chenal) was amazing."
After missing the Michigan State game with an injury, a double-overtime loss in East Lansing, Chaney returned for Purdue and matched his career-high with five tackles, highlighted by that sack, not an easy thing to do with how passing attacks have evolved with short drops and the quick game.
"First, you have to win your one-on-one block," Chaney said, "and you have to hope that the quarterback will hold it long enough. And if he does, you've got to tackle him. It's like a three-step process and you have to get past all three to get the sack. There are definitely more steps I have to take.
"But if I keep going hard and keep working at it, eventually I will get it down."
It was the same formula he used to attract D-1 recruiters. He'd like to write that ending again.
Â
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Two years ago, Jake Chaney was a high school senior, 3-star linebacker and budding author. Prior to signing with Wisconsin (December, 2020), he wrote a first-person account of his recruiting experience for his hometown newspaper, the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press.
From start ("Dear Southwest Florida") to finish ("Go Badgers"), it was refreshing and revealing.
Chaney spoke of growing up with a dream to play "big-time college football" only to have some serious reservations and self-doubts as a freshman and sophomore because he was "undersized, inexperienced and afraid" making him think the dream was "out of reach or unrealistic."
But he refused to accept that fate and "I worked as hard as I could in the weight room and field to become a better, more developed player." Still, he pointed out, "My junior season had gone by, and no D-1 schools contacted me. All hope was lost until I received a random message …"
From a UW recruiter. That led to a campus visit with his dad, James Chaney, who was also his head coach at Lehigh High School (in suburban Fort Myers). Jake wrote, "People expected me to hate it, but I loved it. I got to experience some of the best traditions in college football."
Once offered, he spoke of "all the time and heartbreak" that went into it from "the long nights when you're in the weight room wondering if it's worth it" to "waking up in the morning questioning if you're good enough" to "people making fun of you because you want to workout instead of hangout."
But in the end, he concluded "It was worth it." Looking ahead to the early signing day, as a member of Wisconsin's 2021 recruiting class, he spoke of "Putting on that white and red hat … in front of my whole family is a blessing I'll never take for granted."
Earlier this week, Chaney revisited that timeline, the part where Jim Leonhard made a trip to his high school before the Badgers had offered a scholarship. Both Jake and his dad viewed it as a pretty big deal that a Big Ten defensive coordinator would be committed enough to show up in person at Lehigh.
"That night," Chaney remembered, "he called and said I had an offer."
That Leonhard is now serving as Wisconsin's interim head coach has expanded the storyline.
"He played football for a long time," Chaney said of Leonhard, a three-time UW All-American and 10-year NFL vet, "and he understands how we're feeling. He's a down-to-earth dude. He doesn't walk around with big pants on or an ego. He's a coach that a player can look up to. My dad loves him."
You can certainly understand why that would be the case. Leonhard turned 40 last week. And he talked about the energy that is part of his makeup. As a recruiter. As a DC. As a head coach. "You have to be able to match high school and college players' energies and I think I do a good job of that," he said.
"The number one response you're getting from high school coaches and high school athletes, even young college players, a lot of them are feeling that they're getting lied to. There's a lot of mixed messaging in recruiting right now.
"The more honest and real – even if it's something they don't want to hear – the more open and honest and real you are with guys, it goes a long way. That's how I try to treat our players when they get here. But it starts in the recruiting process with their coaches, their families."
Leonhard believes in "being open with who you are and what your plan is." It's something that tends to resonate with parents. So does Leonhard's demeanor. It's the vibe that he gives off. "I'm very confident in who I am and the people I surround myself with," he said. "I think they feel that."
James Chaney felt that during the recruiting process. He has a comparable spirit and confidence born out of his own athletic and coaching success. He was an All-State defensive lineman at North Fort Myers High School, the same program that turned out Deion Sanders, Jevon Kearse, et al.
Chaney played at Florida State for the legendary Bobby Bowden. Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Leroy Butler and Charlie Ward were among his teammates in Tallahassee. He got involved with coaching at the youth level, the Fort Myers Firecats, a Pop Warner team. In 2014, he was named Lehigh's head coach.
 "It was nice growing up – you got two points of views of the game – from playing it and how coach views the game," Jake Chaney said of being a coach's kid. "We really didn't go over scheme. But we talked about how you develop players and attack things.
"He taught me all these drills – every drill possible I could do on my own whether running, cutting, or changing direction. He taught me how to lift in the weight room. And I remember we used to run track when we were young, and he taught me how to run.
"I got to work with him for a year in Pop Warner and four straight years in high school. He wasn't my position coach or defensive coordinator. And he told me that he wasn't going to force the other coaches to play me. Everything I get has to be earned.
"At the end of the day, he was more of a father than a coach.
"When we got home, it was more about life instead of football."
Jake Chaney has met many of his dad's Florida State teammates, including "Prime" – the head coach at Jackson State. He played with Sanders' kids and recalled a phone conversation with Butler, the former Packer safety, and a recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee. "It's like a huge family," Jake said.
Speaking of which, he's the youngest of James and Tray Chaney's four kids. His brother, James "Bud" Chaney is a running back at Valdosta State. "He always supported me, always cheered for me," Jake said. "We were always competitive with each other. He was a great role model to look up to."
Saturday's game against Maryland will have a "family" feel for Chaney because of his Florida connection with some of the Terps: defensive lineman Quashon Fuller, linebacker Fa'Najae Gotay and wide receiver Jeshaun Jones. "I played Pop Warner with those dudes," he said. "I grew up with them."
Meanwhile, Chaney is in the equivalent of a growth spurt as one of the UW's inside linebackers, a rotating crew that also features Jordan Turner, Maema Njongmeta and Tatum Grass. Njongmeta leads the defense with 54 tackles. Turner is tied for No. 3, Chaney is No. 7, and Grass is tied for No 9.
"Those are my brothers," Chaney said. "We're really close. We spent a lot of time with each other, and we've been competing for a long time now. Coach D (Mark D'Onofrio) gives us opportunities to put what we have on the field, and I respect him for that. It makes us all the closer.
"Right now, we're still competing for time and still developing our roles. At the beginning of the year, none of us had any film, none of us had any proof that we could play the game. There was a lot of pressure. Now, having some games under my belt, I feel more confident and comfortable out there.
"I feel like the coaches are trusting me more, too."
That's certainly true of Leonhard. "I'm very excited with what Jake has done," Leonhard said. "Coming out of camp, it was a big-time battle (at inside linebacker) and we felt like we had four guys that not only could play but we needed to play.
"When he has been healthy, Jake has been very consistent. He's a fun player to coach because his focus is extremely high, and his consistency and play has been there week-in and week-out in whatever role that we've asked him to do.
"I'm excited coming down the stretch that we quite possibly have these guys as healthy as they've been all season as a group. We're just trying to find a way to make them most impactful on defense as well as the role they're going to have on special teams."
Over his 16-game UW career, spanning two seasons and one start, Chaney has some memorable "firsts" – whether it was his first tackle (Army, 2021), first interception (New Mexico State) or first sack (Purdue). Of the three, he insisted the most meaningful was that tackle on a kickoff return.
"We did a cross-field kick, I got off a block and made the tackle," he said proudly of his first and only stop in 2021. Even though he rarely saw the field while appearing in nine games, mostly on special teams, he admitted, "Preparing for a game with Jack (Sanborn) and Leo (Chenal) was amazing."
After missing the Michigan State game with an injury, a double-overtime loss in East Lansing, Chaney returned for Purdue and matched his career-high with five tackles, highlighted by that sack, not an easy thing to do with how passing attacks have evolved with short drops and the quick game.
"First, you have to win your one-on-one block," Chaney said, "and you have to hope that the quarterback will hold it long enough. And if he does, you've got to tackle him. It's like a three-step process and you have to get past all three to get the sack. There are definitely more steps I have to take.
"But if I keep going hard and keep working at it, eventually I will get it down."
It was the same formula he used to attract D-1 recruiters. He'd like to write that ending again.
Â
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