Blue Chip Chat
Chase Whatton I Elizabeth Forward I HB- DE
Elizabeth Forward’s Chase Whatton is highlighted in Friday’s installment.
( Fourth in a series on top high school football players in the area.)
THE SCOOP
This Chase is great at chasing down quarterbacks and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. One of the WPIAL’s top pass rushers, Whatton earned conference defensive player of the year honors last season when he registered 12 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. Not bad for a kid new to the position after previously playing linebacker. Whatton is the headliner for an Elizabeth Forward team ranked No. 3 in Class 3A. The Warriors have not won a playoff game in 20 years but have gone 22- 8 the past three seasons.
COLLEGE TALK
In July, Whatton announced a top seven of Akron, Bowling Green, Delaware, Florida International, James Madison, Navy and Western Michigan. Some Power Five schools are showing interest.
OUR QUESTIONS, HIS ANSWERS
Elizabeth Forward is getting some preseason hype. Should we buy
it? Yes. You need to buy it. We’re coming this year. We have a whole different mentality.
You had never played defensive end before last season. Surprised at the
results? Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Coach talked to me in the weight room at the beginning of junior year. He said, “Chase, I think you should be a defensive lineman.” I said, “Oh, OK, I’m ready.” I was a middle linebacker before that. I was good, but I think the switch to Dline changed my life. Do you have any personal goals this season? It’s definitely to obtain a Power Five offer from Pitt or Penn State and some other bigger schools. I’m appreciative for the [ offers] I have, but I know I can play big- time football. I want to beat all my stats from last year and make all- state like last year. Music- wise, who do you listen to before games? A lot of people listen to new rap, but I listen to AC/ DC and some hard rock. You can never go wrong with that. And I grew up listening to Eminem. I play every one of his songs. He’s very inspirational to me. If you could pick a player on another team to be on your team, who would it be? [ South Allegheny’s] Antonio Epps. I grew up playing with him and he puts the work in. I know the whole family very well. He gets it in. He’s definitely blowing up and I’m super happy for him.
You have a large tattoo on your right arm. What does it say? I’m a very religious person. I believe there’s a God up there and he has a plan for me. The tattoo is an Old Testament verse, Jeremiah 29: 11 Was it hard talking your parents into letting you get one? Actually, no. I got my first tattoo when I was 14. My mom is also a tattoo fanatic.
AND FINALLY …
Word is you’ve been delivering pizzas this summer? Yeah, I started working at Fox’s. It’s really good money. I’m a delivery driver. It’s good to make some extra cash.
Biggest tip? $ 50. It was a $ 150 order. I was pretty happy.