Chris James
Tight End / Chattanooga

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Chris James:  6’3, and I am 240 now.  I was 220-225 last year.      

Alex Khvatov:  How did you prepare for the 2020 season with no offseason training?

Chris James:  I was training at the practice field.  Our practice field is not on campus.  They don’t close it off.  They had a couple of gyms that opened up recently.    

Alex Khvatov:  Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?

Chris James:  Baseball was my first love.  But the older I got, the more passion I developed for Friday night lights.    

Alex Khvatov:  What positions did you play in high school? 

Chris James:  I played RB, TE and safety on defense.  I played on defense my freshman and sophomore year.  I was a backup QB my sophomore year.  I played a little bit.  My junior year, I got my shot to start at QB.  I had a good arm from baseball.  I was a natural thrower. 

Alex Khvatov:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?

Chris James:  I had a low GPA.  I had a 2.2.  I wasn’t into school.  I wasn’t mature to understand that school was just as important as football.  I had lots of junior colleges looking at me.      

Alex Khvatov:  How did you wind up at Valdosta State? 

Chris James:  In 2015, it was my only offer.  They brought me in as a QB.  I wasn’t division I eligible.  I am from Georgia.  The campus is about five hours from my hometown.  I redshirted.  I wasn’t used to not playing football.  It was hard, and I still wasn’t taking the classroom seriously enough.  My grades weren’t good.  I was ruled academically ineligible after my spring semester.     

Alex Khvatov:  Why did you transfer to JUCO? 

Chris James:  I had to sit out for two semesters if I was going to stay at Valdosta State.  I had to regroup and start fresh.  I went to Hutchinson community college in Kansas.  They recruited me heavily out of high school.  I got close with their receivers’ coach, Thaddeus Brown.  I got in touch with him.  He was excited to have me.  I came in as a QB again in the summer of 2016.  I spent a year and a half there.  I graduated with an associate’s degree in the winter of 2018.  I ended up battling it out for the starting job with a VA Tech transfer.  I won the starting job.  I started the first two games.  I had a Lisfranc tear my first year.  Next season, they decided to go with another guy at QB.  I sat on the bench my second year.    

Alex Khvatov:  Why did you choose Chattanooga? 

Chris James:  I have great respect for the coaching staff at Hutchinson.  My GPA went from 1.3 to 2.7.  I matured and started working very hard.  My coach knew the OC at Chattanooga.  They wanted to sign a QB.  When the season ended, I went home.  No schools offered me.  UTC called me when I was at Georgia.  They asked me if I would throw for them the next day.  After the workout, they signed me.    

Alex Khvatov:  Tell us about your career at Chattanooga.        

Chris James:  Nick Tiano was one of the QB’s on the roster.  Him and I had a QB battle.  The second practice of spring, I broke my finger on the throwing hand.  We had a complicated, pro-style offense.  I needed the reps.  That injury put me two steps backwards.  During fall camp, he had more confidence with the offense.  He had a great season in 2018.  That coaching staff backed him up for the entire season.  Rusty Wright came in as the new head coach.  Going into fall camp, I wanted to get on the field.  I was athletic enough to play the TE position.  I asked him if I could switch positions.  He was ecstatic that I wanted to switch in order to get on the field.  I started against Tennessee, which was the third game of the season.  I started every game after that. 

Alex Khvatov:  How was your transition when you made the move from QB to TE?

Chris James:  It was tough to make the switch in the middle of fall camp.  I got the hang of it, and it turned out pretty well.        

Alex Khvatov:  What can we expect from the team this upcoming season? 

Chris James:  We have a good group of guys.  We got RB’s, an experienced O-line and WR’s.  We can dominate on the offensive side of the ball.    

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths?

Chris James:  I am very versatile.  I lined up in the slot, at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield.  I am athletic.  I can be a mismatch on the field.   

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

Chris James:  I need to get bigger.  I was decent at blocking this last year.  I was 225.  I gained some weight in the offseason.  I also need to learn how to run routes the right way.  My WR’s have been teaching me how to get out of my breaks.   

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your career up to this point?

Chris James:  My first TD catch against James Madison.  It was my second start.  I had a couple of catches before that.  JMU has a good team every year.  I burnt the safety, and it gave me the confidence moving forward.  I realized that I could play TE at this level.    

Alex Khvatov:  What is the biggest lesson that you have taken away from your coaching staff? 

Chris James:  Doing the little things.  I started to bring up my grades.  I made the Dean’s list the last three semesters in a row at Chattanooga.    

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite NFL player?

Chris James:  I was a QB growing up.  Brett Favre and Tom Brady.  Brett Favre was incredible.  Tom Brady has that mentality.  I watch a ton of George Kittle film now.  He has similar size as me.  He is taller than me.  But he is physical and intense like me.        

Alex Khvatov:  What players on your team should we keep an eye on for this upcoming season?

Chris James:  WR Bryce Nunnelly has had an awesome career.  OL Harrison Moon is a Mississippi State transfer.  LG Cole Strange is a specimen.  He is 6’4 or 6’5.  He is the strongest guy on the team and the fastest lineman.  He sent me a video of him jumping out of a four-foot pool onto the deck.  He had to block Kinlaw when we played South Carolina.  He had three pancake blocks against him.  He is a three-year starter.      

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?

Chris James:  #7 John Daka from James Madison.  He signed with the Ravens.  He is small, but he is a quick player.  He knew how to use his hands.  He will be really good at the next level.        

Alex Khvatov:  What is the most important trait for a TE?

Chris James:  Intensity.  You are blocking guys who are heavier than you.  You have to bring it against a 6’5 and 270-pound DE on every play.    

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about football?

Chris James:  Hanging out with the guys and being together nonstop.  I am a big locker room guy.  I hang out with O-linemen.  These guys are my best friends for life.   

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Chris James:  I like to go fishing.  I have picked up golf recently.  I just made my team shoot a nine under.  I like hanging out with friends and family.        

Alex Khvatov:  What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?

Chris James:  I want to be a coach of some type, either in college or high school.  Being a strength coach would pretty fun.  I can make an impact on kids’ lives and inspire them.  It would be a good thing for me to do.  I graduated with a sports management degree this past December.  I am doing exercise science as my other major now.    

Alex Khvatov:  What five words best describe you?

Chris James:  Loyalty, intensity, caring, relentless, and courageous.