Coming out of high school, there are various reasons for choosing which school you want to go to. For me personally I had desires to become a coach. So it was very difficult to pass up the opportunity to learn and develop under Chip Kelly at UCLA. Not only did UCLA have a coach I had admired since I was young, but it was also a school I had dreamed of going to as a California kid. Add to that it’s top-ranked Psychology school, and I couldn’t say no.
I learned so much at UCLA over my four years and really began to understand the extra components to playing QB that often aren’t touched upon. Things like how to watch film, breakdown a defense, communicate offensive philosophies and even simply game plan.
During this I was also working towards my Bachelors in Psychology with the hopes that it would one day help me to be a better coach.
I still remember during the final week of our regular season in 2022, Coach Kelly came up to me during stretching lines and asked what I was planning on doing after the season. He wanted to know whether I wanted to start coaching or continue playing. I told him I felt I owed it to myself to play and that I was intending on transferring. He understood and told me to come up with a list of schools that I think would give me the best opportunity to do so.
Looking at the best offenses at the non-power 4 levels, I immediately came across Chattanooga. I saw the success Preston Hutchinson had the year before and also believed they had a great offensive system in place with a lot of returning starters.
A Place to Develop
I came out for a visit and fell in love with the city, the program and the coaching staff. It was very apparent to me that this was a program based off the foundation of “you get what you earn”. I was attracted to the hardworking culture built here by the staff. So much so, that I actually believe the first thing that I did when I landed back at LAX was call Coach Wright and tell him “I’m committing to play for Chattanooga.”
It really was a no-brainer, and I’m so thankful I made that decision. To be able to play for a staff and a program that pours so much into you as not only a player, but a person is really special and hard to find these days.
On top of that, from a skill standpoint, I think if you look at the numbers, we’re one of the best FCS programs in the country in terms of developing talent. We’ve had plenty of guys who weren’t initially highly recruited turn into legitimate professional prospects.
I’m sure I’ll miss a few names, but just within the last few years you have guys like Cole Strange, McClendon Curtis, Devonnsha Maxwell, Reuben Lowery III, Jay Person, Clay Fields III, Griffin McDowell, Marlon Taylor and Jamoi Mayes all get NFL chances with a good amount of them being rostered at some point. Additionally, I’m sure there will be some more names added to that list in following years.
Not only is that a testament to the hard work the guys themselves put in, but also the culture that the coaches and administration have worked hard to build here. It’s apparent UTC values development, and it shows in the success of our players.
The Journey Continues
During my time at Chattanooga not only did I get to grow as a player, but the way the cards were dealt I ended up also being the oldest QB in a relatively young QB room. Naturally with my original plans to coach, this presented a really unique opportunity to start almost acting as a player coach. Thankfully I was surrounded by a great group of QBs who were eager to learn.
I remember every time I’d get out of class, they’d ask when I was going to be watching film. Over time, I began really taking pride in being able to teach them the “why’s” of football and helping them to understand our offensive plans and why they would work against opposing defenses etc. I had always had thoughts about coaching, but this was one of my first chances to be able to actually practice it and pour my knowledge I’d acquired into others.
After my second season with the Mocs in 2024, I was looking at what was next and I was fortunate enough to have some professional opportunities arise. I ended up signing to the CFL to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers where we just finished up our season in November.
Last May, before I had actually made it up to Canada, while training myself for the CFL, I decided to also “continue” teaching and giving back to the younger generation of QBs. I helped out a little bit during spring ball for the Mocs, but after that concluded, I began privately coaching QBs in the Chattanooga area.
I developed Chase The Win QB Training with the simple idea of being for young QBs what I wish I had at that age. I was very fortunate to have great coaches throughout my years of ball. They worked hard with me to develop good mechanics and knowledge of the game, but I always felt there was a missing piece.
So much of the QB position is above the neck. Like it or not, that is really what I believe separates the best from the rest. Obviously to train a QB, you need to teach them how to throw, but at Chase The Win (CTW) we intend on going further than just the mechanical teachings.
Our goal at CTW is to blend physical, mental and psychological components of the position into one curriculum for QBs of all ages to be able to digest.
Fortunately my background and experience lends me the ability to do so.
It truly is so rewarding being able to see a QB progress in their abilities and accomplishments. By continuing to train QBs in the Chattanooga area, I hope to be able to help more and more QBs reach their goals.
Overall none of this would be possible without the UTC football program. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the relationships I’ve built along the way. Chattanooga is a place where players can truly thrive. If I was a transfer QB going through that process again, it would be hard to not pick Chattanooga. I truly am proud to have been a part of this program.
Chase the Win QB Training can be found on Instagram @ctw_QBtraining or by emailing chasethewinqb@gmail.com.
