CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- ESPN 300 offensive lineman Brian Chaffin was presented with his Under Armour All-America Game jersey Thursday morning in a ceremony sponsored by American Family Insurance. The ceremony took place in front of family, friends, teammates, classmates and school faculty on the campus of Charlotte Christian School.
“Oh my gosh, it’s a huge honor and I’m really excited,” Chaffin said. “There are a ton of great athletes that are selected to play in this game, have already played in this game, and I’m just excited to be a part of it,”
The Under Armour All-America Game is not new to Charlotte Christian School. Chaffin follows Georgia freshman tight end Jeb Blazevich as the second player from the Southeast Charlotte-area private school to be selected as one of 90 prospects to participate.
“I think it’s a huge deal. It’s just a testament to our coaches and the type of players we are putting out. Having back-to-back Under Armour All-Americans, I don’t think a lot of schools can say, much less a small private school. It’s just a have testament to what we are doing here, and what we are building.”
Making the game was a goal for the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Chaffin, who is ranked No. 290 in the ESPN 300.
“When I watched Jeb [Blazevich] at the game last year, I always had the thought in my head that I would really like to play in this game. It was the game I always wanted to play in, and when I called them up and told them after talking to Mr. [Craig] Haubert, they were just so excited.”
On the recruiting front, Chaffin will attend Stanford, where he committed in June over offers from Duke, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and several others. While he will be a long way from his East Coast home, it was an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up.
“For me, it was the best combination of academics and athletics I could find. I think Stanford breeds greatness, and if you want to be great, you have to go to a place that produces greatness.”
#ESPN300 center & #Stanford commit Brian Chaffin receiving 2015 Under Armour @AllAmericaGame jersey. https://t.co/7WU0ZOafsc
— Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) October 30, 2014
Eight questions with Chaffin:
Is there any one player you are looking forward to going up against at the Under Armour Game or practices?
Chaffin: I don’t know a whole lot about the rosters yet. I know there are going to be some beastly D-tackles there. Just going against those guys in practice and testing my skills against them will be fun.
If you were to start a team with any other player in your class, who would it be and why?
Chaffin: Well it all starts up front, so it would probably be my buddy Nick Wilson, who committed to Stanford with me. He’s a guard/center combo, so I think the two of us could be a solid start and do some special things.
Who is the best player to ever play in the Under Armour game that you know of?
Chaffin: Jeb Blazevich. I’m going with my buddy, Jeb Blazevich. I think he’s just a special player on and off the field. Obviously, I’m a little biased, but he’s a great kid and I think he’s going to do big things.
What is your earliest football memory?
Chaffin: Probably seventh grade. I was starting and it was a seventh and eighth-grade league. The guy I was going against was huge, and that was when I really had to test if this game was for me. I ended up doing really well, not giving up any sacks. That game proved to me that I could go up against bigger and better athletes and still succeed.
Which football player did you idolize or want to be like when you were a kid?
Chaffin: Growing up, he didn’t play my position but I loved Tim Tebow.(Chaffin grew up a Florida fan.) It was just the way he went about the game and the way he went about his business. And the type of guy he is off the field, he was somebody I wanted to be like.
If you could take on any pro player in their sport, who would it be?
Chaffin: I’d probably golf with Tiger [Woods]. Golf is one of things that is tough. I would like to watch him go about his craft, and he is such a great golfer that it would be fun to go out and compete.
What number do you wear and why?
Chaffin: I wear 65 in honor of my former offensive line coach, Coach [Jim] Durning. When I came here to Charlotte Christian in eighth grade, he was the first person to take me under his wing and just teach me everything he knew. I think he’s a big reason I am the player I am today.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Chaffin: I like to hunt a lot. I’m a big hunter. I’m an outdoors guy.