Wherever Football Takes Him: Colin Chase Found Home at Temple

Colin Chase has been playing football for almost as long as he can remember. Growing up in California, he tried his hand at surfing, baseball, basketball and lacrosse, but football was the constant. He began playing tackle football in first grade and hasn't taken a season off since.

When the time came to play in college, he was willing to go wherever football took him.

That meant leaving California for St. Paul, Minnesota, more than 1,500 miles from home, at the age of 18.

"I was gonna go wherever I could have the best opportunity to play," Chase said.

He spent three seasons at the University of St. Thomas before a strong third year prompted him to consider his next step. With aspirations of eventually reaching the NFL, Chase entered the transfer portal following spring ball, and Temple came calling.

Things moved quickly from there. Within roughly two weeks of entering the portal, Chase was reporting to Philadelphia and joining a program undergoing its own transition under head coach K.C. Keeler.

Despite the distance and unfamiliarity, Chase saw something worth betting on. Temple offered him a coaching staff he believed in and a place to continue developing his game.

Philadelphia, however, required an adjustment of its own. 

"You are truly in the heart of it," Chase said. "You can hear the whole city around you when you're on Broad Street."

Since arriving, Chase has made an effort to experience all that Philly has to offer. He and his teammates have explored Center City and tried various restaurants, while community service has offered another way to connect with North Philadelphia.

That involvement has taken Chase from picking up trash around Temple's facilities to an appearance on "Good Morning America."

The former has resulted in Chase earning Temple's nomination for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the nation's top football scholar-athlete which combines academics and community service leadership.

The latter moment on national television, offered great recognition as well as giving his teammates some new material.

Chase, who grew up surfing and spending time in the ocean, participated in a segment designed to highlight ocean safety. His appearance on the program earned him the nickname "Baywatch" from some of his friends on the team. When asked about it, Chase just laughed.

"The ocean is not to be taken lightly," Chase said. "Even Division I football players who are really strong and powerful at their sport can struggle with swimming in the ocean."

As Chase grew more comfortable within Philadelphia, he was also finding his place within the program.

Shortly after arriving, Chase was selected to wear a single digit, one of the highest honors a Temple football player can receive. Players who wear numbers 0-9 are selected by their teammates for their reliability, toughness and leadership on and off the field.

Chase had learned what the tradition meant during his official visit. Still, being selected so soon after arriving came as a surprise.

"It was such an honor," Chase said. "I had just gotten here, so it was a blessing because I made an impact immediately on all my teammates around me."

The honor represented more than what Chase could contribute at wide receiver.

"I felt like they trusted me with the leadership role because they saw me do all the little things," Chase said. "Working hard in the weight room, on the field, the classroom and also community service."

That approach reflects the culture Keeler has worked to establish at Temple.

"You get a different type of dude coming to Temple," Chase said. "Someone who's resilient and willing to work hard."

For Chase, those habits helped him emerge as a leader within the program. Naturally quiet, he has primarily relied on leading by example, but now, as one of the veterans in an increasingly young wide receiver room, that is no longer enough.

"I feel like before you get the right to be a leader, you gotta do everything right," Chase said. "You've got to earn trust from those around you."

After spending his first season establishing himself within the program, Chase entered the offseason ready to take on a more vocal role.

"That was a big thing in my offseason, taking command of the wide receiver room," Chase said. "I feel like I proved that I could do the right thing, so now I'm helping bring others along."

For Chase, that means offering the same kind of guidance he received early in his own college career.

At St. Thomas, veteran receiver Jacob Wildermuth took Chase under his wing. If Chase got yelled at during practice, Wildermuth would find him afterward and make sure the younger receiver understood the coaching point rather than allowing the moment to become discouraging.

Years later, Chase still remembers those interactions when working with Temple's younger players.

"That's kind of how I model my mentorship," Chase said. "Really just trying to connect with the guys and make sure that they're fully understanding it. Whatever they need, on the field, off the field, school, navigating life, I'm there for them."

That emphasis on connection has extended beyond the wide receiver room.

His first season came after only a few months with his new team, but this time around, the Owls have had an entire offseason to build the relationships they didn't have time to establish the year before.

Spring practices and summer workouts gave way to another fall camp. Away from football, bowling outings and big brother-little brother partnerships gave the players opportunities to spend time together outside the facility.

"We've gotten a lot closer," Chase said.

That closeness took on greater significance when the transfer portal reopened.

With agents talking to players and several veterans entering their final year of eligibility, Chase and his teammates had decisions to make about whether what they were building at Temple was worth staying for.

Rather than making those decisions in isolation, they checked in with each other.

"We ultimately came together and said, 'We got a good thing going here,'" Chase said. "A lot of us only have one year of eligibility. There's no point in starting all over and risking what we got going on here."

For Chase, another move could have meant another coaching staff, another locker room and another adjustment. Temple offered the chance to build on the relationships and momentum already in place.

"We believe in the coaching staff and all the players that we have around us," Chase said.

For a player whose college career has been defined by change, that decision gave Chase something different: continuity.

Now, he is hoping to make the most of it.

"For me, I want to go to the NFL," Chase said. "Hopefully have a really, really great season, a really great Pro Day and be able to play football professionally."

Football has already taken Chase from Orange County to St. Paul to Philadelphia. As he enters his final season in cherry and white, he's hoping the journey isn't finished yet.

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Wherever Football Takes Him: Colin Chase Found Home at Temple

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