Jesse Chatman
Encyclopedia
Jesse Percee Chatman is an American football
running back
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
at Eastern Washington.
Chatman has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins
, New Orleans Saints
and New York Jets
.
and James Hasty
). Chatman's High School position coach was former NFL-running back Terry Metcalf
. In honor of his many accomplishments at Franklin, his success at Eastern Washington University, and his rise to prominence in the NFL, Chatman's high school raised his Franklin jersey in a ceremony at the school and it will remain displayed in tribute.
I-AA All-America selection, Big Sky Conference
Offensive Player of Year and a first-team all-conference selection. He recorded the fourth-highest single-season rushing total in I-AA history, amassing 2,096 rushing yards. Chatman finished his career with 4,173 yards and 53 touchdown
s.
in April, 2002. After leading the NFL in rushing during the preseason with 234 yards on a 5.1 average, he made the team out of training camp. Chatman went on to appear in 10 games with no starts. On the season, he rushed for 19 yards on six carries, caught three passes for 44 yards and notched four tackles on special teams.
Chatman went on to appear in all 16 regular season games for the Chargers in 2003. Though he rarely saw action on offense (he finished the year with eight carries for 17 yards and five catches for 54 yards), he was the team's leading special teams tackler with 16 stops and also recovered a fumble. Also, while he was primarily a blocker on kickoffs, Chatman did return two kicks for a total of 31 yards during the season.
After re-signing with the team as an exclusive rights free agent
, Chatman appeared in 15 games for the Chargers in 2004 despite a nagging toe injury. He had a career day against the Jacksonville Jaguars
on October 10 when he rushed for 103 yards and a score. On the season, Chatman had 65 carries for 392 yards (a 6.0 average), two catches for 17 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams, he totaled four tackles and also had four kickoff returns for 89 yards, including a long of 35 yards. The toe injury finally got the best of him in the playoffs, when he was forced to sit out the team's AFC
Wild Card match-up against the New York Jets
.
A restricted free agent
following March, Chatman was re-signed to a one-year deal. The addition of rookie Darren Sproles
, the development of Michael Turner
, Chatman's absence from Qualcomm Stadium
in the offseason as well as weight issues all contributed to his release from the team that July.
, Chatman received plenty of interest on the open market from teams like the Baltimore Ravens
, Carolina Panthers
, Minnesota Vikings
, Oakland Raiders
and Seattle Seahawks
.
However, it was the Miami Dolphins who inked Chatman on September 3, 2005 to provide depth while Ricky Williams
served a four-game suspension. Chatman was inactive for the first five games of the regular season with the Dolphins before being traded to the New Orleans Saints for a conditional seventh-round draft choice on October 11.
a few days later as the team was looking to add depth, but the team decided to sign running back Mike Cloud
instead.
, who was the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers during Chatman's time there. Chatman began the 2007 season as Ronnie Brown
's backup and saw limited duty until Week 7 against New England, when Brown went down with a serious knee injury. Chatman responded by running for an impressive 73 yards on only 7 carries before leaving the game temporarily with an injury of his own. Chatman came back in the 4th quarter to score the last touchdown of the game (and his first since 2004).
With the season ending injury of Dolphin's starting running back Ronnie Brown, Jesse Chatman had been named the new starter for the Miami Dolphins. His best game came against a 13-10 heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills
, where he rushed for 124 yards on 27 carries. Jesse finished the year with a career-high 515 yards rushing with one touchdown.
in the 2008 offseason. One week before the start of the season, he was suspended for four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was activated from the suspended list on October 6.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Eastern Washington.
Chatman has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Chatman was a highly decorated prep running back at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington, His Head Football Coach was Joseph Slye (who also coached NFL stars Corey DillonCorey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
and James Hasty
James Hasty
James Edward Hasty is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001.-Football career:...
). Chatman's High School position coach was former NFL-running back Terry Metcalf
Terry Metcalf
Terrance Randolph Metcalf is a former professional American football running back who played six total seasons in the National Football League, five of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, and one with the Washington Redskins. He attended Long Beach State University...
. In honor of his many accomplishments at Franklin, his success at Eastern Washington University, and his rise to prominence in the NFL, Chatman's high school raised his Franklin jersey in a ceremony at the school and it will remain displayed in tribute.
College career
Chatman played for the Eastern Washington University Eagles of the Big Sky Conference from 1999-2001. During his tenure, Chatman was an APAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
I-AA All-America selection, Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
Offensive Player of Year and a first-team all-conference selection. He recorded the fourth-highest single-season rushing total in I-AA history, amassing 2,096 rushing yards. Chatman finished his career with 4,173 yards and 53 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
San Diego Chargers
Chatman was one of 19 undrafted free agents originally signed by the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in April, 2002. After leading the NFL in rushing during the preseason with 234 yards on a 5.1 average, he made the team out of training camp. Chatman went on to appear in 10 games with no starts. On the season, he rushed for 19 yards on six carries, caught three passes for 44 yards and notched four tackles on special teams.
Chatman went on to appear in all 16 regular season games for the Chargers in 2003. Though he rarely saw action on offense (he finished the year with eight carries for 17 yards and five catches for 54 yards), he was the team's leading special teams tackler with 16 stops and also recovered a fumble. Also, while he was primarily a blocker on kickoffs, Chatman did return two kicks for a total of 31 yards during the season.
After re-signing with the team as an exclusive rights free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, Chatman appeared in 15 games for the Chargers in 2004 despite a nagging toe injury. He had a career day against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 10 when he rushed for 103 yards and a score. On the season, Chatman had 65 carries for 392 yards (a 6.0 average), two catches for 17 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams, he totaled four tackles and also had four kickoff returns for 89 yards, including a long of 35 yards. The toe injury finally got the best of him in the playoffs, when he was forced to sit out the team's AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Wild Card match-up against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
A restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
following March, Chatman was re-signed to a one-year deal. The addition of rookie Darren Sproles
Darren Sproles
Darren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, the development of Michael Turner
Michael Turner (NFL player)
Michael 'The Burner' Turner is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northern Illinois.-College career:He attended...
, Chatman's absence from Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in the offseason as well as weight issues all contributed to his release from the team that July.
First stint with Dolphins
Despite the concerns held by the Chargers, particularly head coach Marty SchottenheimerMarty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
, Chatman received plenty of interest on the open market from teams like the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
However, it was the Miami Dolphins who inked Chatman on September 3, 2005 to provide depth while Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
served a four-game suspension. Chatman was inactive for the first five games of the regular season with the Dolphins before being traded to the New Orleans Saints for a conditional seventh-round draft choice on October 11.
New Orleans Saints
Chatman spent three games with the Saints, inactive for all, before being released on November 2. He had worked out by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
a few days later as the team was looking to add depth, but the team decided to sign running back Mike Cloud
Mike Cloud
Michael Alexander "Mike" Cloud is a former American football running back in the National Football League . He has played for the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots, and the New York Giants.-Early life:...
instead.
Second stint with the Dolphins
Chatman was not an active player in the NFL for 2006 and reportedly weighed 280 pounds. He shaved 60 pounds off his body which gave him the new explosiveness he needed to revive his career. After being out of the league in 2006, the Dolphins re-signed Chatman and allocated him to NFL Europa on February 21, 2007. This most recent stint with the Dolphins re-united him with head coach Cam CameronCam Cameron
-External links:...
, who was the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers during Chatman's time there. Chatman began the 2007 season as Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
's backup and saw limited duty until Week 7 against New England, when Brown went down with a serious knee injury. Chatman responded by running for an impressive 73 yards on only 7 carries before leaving the game temporarily with an injury of his own. Chatman came back in the 4th quarter to score the last touchdown of the game (and his first since 2004).
With the season ending injury of Dolphin's starting running back Ronnie Brown, Jesse Chatman had been named the new starter for the Miami Dolphins. His best game came against a 13-10 heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he rushed for 124 yards on 27 carries. Jesse finished the year with a career-high 515 yards rushing with one touchdown.
New York Jets
Chatman signed a one-year deal with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2008 offseason. One week before the start of the season, he was suspended for four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was activated from the suspended list on October 6.