CHAPMAN GETTING DEFENSIVE
Former Lincoln High star making a name for himself at N. Carolina
As a senior at Lincoln High, Don Chapman did a lot of everything.
Rarely leaving the field, he took snaps at quarterback. He lined up in the slot, catching 42 passes for 540 yards and rushing 30 times for 242 yards. And he had 460 yards on 16 kickoff returns, plus 396 yards on 17 punt returns.
“But I’ve always considered myself a defender,” Chapman said in a recent phone interview.
Now a sophomore at North Carolina, Chapman is starting at strong safety for the No. 8-ranked Tar Heels, who face a big ACC game today against No. 19 Virginia Tech (9 a.m., Ch. 10).
Chapman’s 2018 defensive numbers at Lincoln were impressive — 50 tackles and three interceptions on a team that went 11-5, losing to Menlo Atherton in the State 3-AA championship game.
He was a first-team All-CIF selection as a defensive back and made the U-T All-Academic
Team, carrying a 3.23 GPA.
His work on the field and in the classroom led to 18 college offers with LSU, USC, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona all making offers.
But it was an offer from Army that led him to North Carolina.
Jay Bateman had recruited Chapman at West Point, and when Bateman left Army for North Carolina, Chapman was among his first calls.
“Don was a really good fit for our defense,” Bateman said.
So the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Chapman and his mother, Felicia, visited Chapel Hill.
“I fell in love with the school, the campus, the area and the coaches,” Chapman said. “It felt like home. I was around the team on my visit, and said there was no way this team had won just two games the year before.
“The team chemistry was amazing. It was a real family decision to come here.”
The Tar Heels have only five players from west of the Mississippi River. Most of the team comes from North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Virginia.
Chapman is the only player from California and is the athlete who comes from farthest away — nearly 2,200 miles.
He played in all 13 games last season for new coach Mack Brown as the Tar Heels turned back-to-back nine-loss seasons into a 7-6 campaign and a win over Temple in the Military Bowl.
Chapman had a team-leading 10 tackles in that game and registered his first career sack.
For the season, Chapman made four starts, had 30 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
“The atmosphere at our games last year was ridiculous,” Chapman said. “Every game was sold out. Everyone was into Tar Heels football.
“With COVID-19, things are a little different this season, but that’s where team chemistry comes in.”
Chapman was the starting strong safety for a season-opening win against Syracuse, finishing with four tackles and a tackle for loss. He had seven tackles in the second game, a victory over Boston College.
The Tar Heels haven’t finished in the Top 10 since placing No. 6 in 1997.
“This is what we want,” Chapman said of the ranking and national attention. “College is so much different than high school. You have more time to focus on school and football in college.
“Because of the COVID thing, we’ve lost the social aspect. I love campus life. It was my goal to watch as many other sports as possible, support those athletes like they supported us.
“I went to basketball games, volleyball, gymnastics and women’s lacrosse. And I loved it.”
The weather — hot and humid most days — took some getting used to.
“Oh, yeah, that was an adjustment,” Chapman said. “I got to Chapel Hill in the summer, and knew I wasn’t in San Diego any longer. But I’m OK now.”
Chapman said the college game is so much faster than high school. Playing at Lincoln, where the pace was quick, was a huge advantage.
“I owe a lot of my success in college to Lincoln, Coach David Dunn and the Hornets staff,” Chapman said. “Lincoln absolutely prepared me for college.
“We were taught to compete every down — in practice and games. That’s the way it is in college.
“There were some glory days at Lincoln, carrying the ball, catching passes, returning kicks.
“But I always knew defense was my side of the ball at the next level.”