After awing the fans in Husky Stadium with impossible catches and clutch-time plays, Washington wide receiver Craig Chambers is surprising the fans once again. He asked head coach Tyrone Willingham to be released from the football program. Chambers met with receiver coach Eric Yarber over the weekend then publicly announced his decision.
"I talked to coach Yarber and told him that I wasn't really happy here and that I wanted to leave. He told me that the decision was up to me. I talked to him on Friday, and then took one more day to think about it."
Chambers admitted he toyed with the idea since the beginning of the season and talked about his frustrations during the season.
"[Transferring] came into my mind against Air Force when I didn't play at all. They can say that I'm not practicing hard, but I thought that was kind of brutal, not playing me through the whole game then just putting me in at the end of the game when they needed a big play. They put me in to make the big play because they knew that I could do it. If you're going to play me, then play me. If you're not going to play me, then don't play me. Don't wait until the end of the game, Chambers vented. "That bothered me a lot. In the beginning of the season, I started practicing a lot better, working hard, and that still didn't move me up the depth chart. That's when I knew that I wanted to go somewhere else."
Chambers was one of the most highly sought after players out of Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Wash. recruited by former head coach Rick Neuheisel. After arriving at Washington, he suffered through a disappointing season under Keith Gilbertson, before starting six games under Willingham this season, catching 31 passes for 573 yards with team high six touchdowns. Rumors have been circulating around Montlake throughout the season about Chambers being unhappy with the coaching staff.
"It's not really just the coaching staff, Chambers continued with his reasons. "The whole situation with people saying that I'm not practicing hard enough, I just want go somewhere else and have a fresh start."
Chambers expects Willingham to have signed the release forms early this week. As soon as the papers are signed, he can make his decision official and will be contacted by coaches looking to add to their depth chart.
Currently on Chambers' radar are Montana State, Montana, and Portland state.
"I'm open to pretty much anywhere. I thought about a couple East Coast schools but I don't know. It's easier for my family to come to my games [on the West Coast]. That's a big thing, being able to have all my family come to my games."
It will be a bitter-sweet departure for Chambers as he searches for life after Washington football. Growing up as a Huskies fan, Chambers only dreamed of playing in front his family in a sold out Husky Stadium. "My family has been big U-Dub football fans forever, but they want me to be happy of course."
Chambers had the ability to shift the game's momentum with his crowd pleasing long receptions as he did in one of the most memorable plays of the season, where he snagged down a 69-yard pass from quarterback Isaiah Stanback against Arizona. He will search for a school that can provide him with a more consistent role for the two years of eligibility he has remaining.
MSU in the mix for UWs Chambers?
Moderators: rtb, kmax, SonomaCat
-
wbtfg
- Golden Bobcat
- Posts: 14291
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 12:52 pm
MSU in the mix for UWs Chambers?
Monte eats corn the long way.
-
rtb
- Moderator
- Posts: 8027
- Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2004 12:15 pm
- Location: Bend, OR
- Contact:
-
WYCAT
- Member # Retired
- Posts: 2828
- Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 5:19 pm
- Location: Wyoming
- Contact:
-
El_Gato
- Member # Retired
- Posts: 2926
- Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 5:07 pm
- Location: Kalispell
He may indeed turn out to be a phenom, but I'd be really nervous about paying this kid to play.
Think about it; this kid is obviously impressed with himself and dogs it in practice. Do you think he's going to IMPROVE his work ethic when he knows he's "stepping down" in talent level by moving from a Pac 10 team to a I-AA squad?
My guess is whoever gets him better be prepared for a guy who only shows up on Saturdays and is a potential cancer on the practice field.
Give this schollie to some promising high-school kid who works his tail off instead; IMO you'll get more from a kid like that over 4 years than you would from Chambers in 2.
Think about it; this kid is obviously impressed with himself and dogs it in practice. Do you think he's going to IMPROVE his work ethic when he knows he's "stepping down" in talent level by moving from a Pac 10 team to a I-AA squad?
My guess is whoever gets him better be prepared for a guy who only shows up on Saturdays and is a potential cancer on the practice field.
Give this schollie to some promising high-school kid who works his tail off instead; IMO you'll get more from a kid like that over 4 years than you would from Chambers in 2.
Grizzlies: 2-5 when it matters most
-
Bleedinbluengold
- BobcatNation Hall of Famer
- Posts: 3427
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:24 am
- Location: Belly of the Beast
I wonder how hard Randy Moss practiced? Not saying this kid has the same talent level, but if a kid is so much better than the talent he plays against? Then, I say, "get him on the field!"
Besides, how do you practice "hard" as a receiver? I mean, they're receivers...run fast, catch everything thrown your way, block for your RBs, make touchdowns...If you do that on game-day, what's left to prove?
Given that, why would he look at um - they don't throw anymore.
PLUS - BH is a slave-driver training wise - pretty much drives his players into the ground by the time fall rolls around. Doesn't sound like a good fit to me.
Besides, how do you practice "hard" as a receiver? I mean, they're receivers...run fast, catch everything thrown your way, block for your RBs, make touchdowns...If you do that on game-day, what's left to prove?
Given that, why would he look at um - they don't throw anymore.
PLUS - BH is a slave-driver training wise - pretty much drives his players into the ground by the time fall rolls around. Doesn't sound like a good fit to me.
Last edited by Bleedinbluengold on Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Montana State IS what "they" think Montana is.
-
couloir41
- BobcatNation Team Captain
- Posts: 494
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 10:09 pm
-
suckitgriz
- BobcatNation Team Captain
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 8:35 am
-
94VegasCat
- Golden Bobcat
- Posts: 4370
- Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:38 am
- Location: Physically in northern Montana but my heart and soul are in Bobcat Stadium
Junior Adams didn't come here on the best of terms either, lest we forget. He was given a second chance by Coach K and look where that ended up. TOUCHDOWN BOBCATS!!! 10-7 over the griz!!!wbtfg wrote:I'm not sure who UM's receiver coach is, but if I were a receiver I would love to play for Junior Adams.
If the coach thinks he would be able to mold this kid into a BOBCAT, then let him wear the blue and gold. (I know its white these days, but it will always be Blue and Gold in my book.)
GO CATS GO. ESG! GO CATS GO
-
AZCAT21
- BobcatNation Letterman
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:04 pm
PRACTICE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE.....WHO GIVES 2 S...TS ABOUT HOW HE PERFORMS IN PRACTICE. I'VE SEEN MANY PEOPLE BE UNBELIEVABLE PRACTICE PLAYERS BUT THEN COME GAME DAY THEY FREAK OUT UNDER THE PRESSURE. SOUNDS LIKE HE IS A GREAT GAME DAY PLAYER, WHICH LAST TIME I REMEMBER IS THE ONLY THING THAT TRULY MATTERS TO US BOBCAT FANS...WINS AND LOSSES. SOUNDS LIKE HE WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE TEAM, ESPECIALLY LOSING THE QUALITY SENIORS WE HAD
-
lifeloyalsigmsu
- 2nd Team All-BobcatNation
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 9:50 pm
This is an article I received from the dawgman.com premium site I'm subscribed to. This was written back in 2004 and with all of the rumblings among the Husky faithful, they are more less citing this article to confirm that he just wasn't putting in the effort.
I've seen the kid play. He has some flat out talent and I certainly wouldn't complain if he donned a Cat jersey. During his interview yesterday or the day before (I don't remember) with KJR, he said that people thought he wasn't running hard or fast enough because with his long legs he said that it makes it seem like his legs aren't going fast because of his long strides.
Personally, I wish he would have stayed at UW but with his transfer, I hope he doesn't pick the griz. It's also nice to hear that MSU's name was mentioned.
Here's the article from August 2004.
---------------------------------------------
I don’t even think you could call it a funk,” said Chambers, a product of Mill Creek’s Jackson High. “It was a lot worse than that.”
The highly-heralded receiver, who at 6-foot-4 showed the speed and hands to be the jewel of the Washington’s 2003 recruiting class, started off slowly once training camp began last August and never was able to snap out of it. Not during the rest of fall camp. Not at any time throughout his redshirt season. And definitely not during spring practices.
“Before I hit summer, I was at rock bottom,” said Chambers, appearing surprisingly upbeat as he spoke to Dawgman.com in the cafeteria at The Evergreen State College. “I was at the lowest in the depths you could ever be. I was sitting there as a fourth string receiver, and walk-ons were doing better than me. I caught one pass for zero yards in the spring game, and I was just thinking, “That isn’t cutting it.”
Spring wasn’t an aberration; it was just another setback in a season of difficult times for the then 18-year-old freshman.
What started in fall camp as a few dropped passes snowballed into a season long slump. It affected the way he learned the playbook, it showed in the sluggish manner he ran routes, it festered deep inside of him getting progressively worse as the season wore on.
Did quitting ever enter his mind?
“A bunch of times,” Chambers admitted. “I was like I don’t even know if I like football that much, maybe I’m not that good, maybe I’m not that serious about it. I thought about transferring. I felt embarrassed walking by players and coaches because I felt I had disappointed them.
“But my mentality is not to give up. If I would have quit my mom would have beat my butt.”
Once spring practices ended and school got out a month-and-a-half later, Chambers decided to do what most others in his position wouldn’t do. Instead of devoting himself to football, he dedicated his summer months to anything and everything non-football related.
“I just took a break over the summer,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I went home and didn’t really do anything. I just wanted to get away from everything and see what happened.
“When I went home, I just cleared my mind. I got my mind off of football. I came back and I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, because you never really know until you get out on the field.”
While many other Huskies stayed near campus for the summer and worked out together, Chambers kept to himself. He didn’t know what would come of 2004, if anything, but there was really no alternative. He felt taking a break from the sport was the only quick-fix answer.
“I didn’t hear from anybody,” said Chambers. “I came for one 7-on-7 the whole summer, and that was it. I know that probably disappointed some people, but I think I’ve taken a step forward instead of staying where I was at.”
Even though Chambers’ was intent on taking a break from football, he never lost sight of the importance of staying in shape.
“I know that I wanted to come back and pass the tests. That was really important to me,” he said. “I didn’t want to come back and just flop.”
So, what was the average day like for the super-talented receiver?
“I wanted to chill out this summer. I wanted to have fun with people. I’d usually hang out during the day and every other day at about 11 or 12 o’clock at night I’d go work out at 24 Hour Fitness for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half. On the days where I wasn’t lifting, I’d go run at Lynnwood High and I’d just do the conditioning test that we do.”
Chambers said he’d lower the length of his rests in between wind sprints from the typical 45 seconds that the team uses as a bench-mark to 30 seconds.
“It seemed to help a lot,” he said, now up to 205 pounds after entering 2003 at a slender 185.
“Summer kind of let me start over. When you are there all year long, you never really start over. You just carry over from the last thing you did to the next thing. Whatever you did during the season got carried over into mat drills and whatever you did there got carried into spring ball.
“I feel like I started off at a bad point and it sort of got carried into everything. When I left, I started with a clean slate and I didn’t have that stuff on my mind anymore.”
Chambers entered fall camp last week with what he felt was an entirely new outlook, and did so showing an improved game on the field at the same time.
He isn’t someone who’s going to challenge for a starting spot this season, and he knows that. He isn’t ever going to be the instant-impact guy that the recruiting experts predicted. But he feels like his mind has flushed out the negativity from last season, making him ready for a breakout season in 2004.
“I think if I would have come (to train with the team) this summer, everything would have just caved back over,” said Chambers. “When I removed myself, I feel like I had a chance to clear my head. Getting away kind of turned me into a new person.
“(Last year) I came in and didn’t do what I was expected to do. People said I was overrated. People can say that if they want to, but the way I look at it is that I wasn’t ready. I expect to be that good some day. I just didn’t do it as fast as people said I was going to do. I just thought to myself that I’ll show them one day that I can be that good of a player.”
Each day out on the practice field over the past week, Chambers has noticed that everything is coming easier than last year. He still has to remind himself what to do during each play, but not in the drastic fashion that hampered his abilities in 2003.
He’s running faster routes, showing much better quickness and hauling in nearly every pass thrown his way.
“I feel like the way I’m playing this year and the way I’m playing last year is like night and day,” said the second-year receiver.
“The biggest difference between last year and this year is that last year when I was out on the field I used to tell myself, ‘Don’t drop the ball, don’t drop the ball, don’t drop the ball. If you drop the ball you’ll be put back at fifth string.’ This year I don’t even think about catching the ball. When I’m lining up I’m thinking I’ve got to sight adjust him, and I’m the blitz beater, and if this guy comes I’ve got to cut it off and sit here. It’s coming a lot more natural.
“I’ve dropped the ball, but when I drop the ball it isn’t the end of the world now and I go back to the huddle. That’s probably the biggest difference.”
With each passing day, the future is regaining the bright outlook it once had for Craig Chambers. Only one year into the Husky program, the young receiver has already experienced the wide range of ups and downs of college football, and he hopes his hard work and renewed focus will translate into positives in the not-too-distant future.
“I feel pretty good about where I’m at right now,” he said. “Anybody can always do better. I didn’t know what I was going to be like when I came back. I could have been exactly the same. But I’m not and I’m pretty satisfied with where I’m at. Next year I hope to make an even bigger jump and become a starter.”
I've seen the kid play. He has some flat out talent and I certainly wouldn't complain if he donned a Cat jersey. During his interview yesterday or the day before (I don't remember) with KJR, he said that people thought he wasn't running hard or fast enough because with his long legs he said that it makes it seem like his legs aren't going fast because of his long strides.
Personally, I wish he would have stayed at UW but with his transfer, I hope he doesn't pick the griz. It's also nice to hear that MSU's name was mentioned.
Here's the article from August 2004.
---------------------------------------------
I don’t even think you could call it a funk,” said Chambers, a product of Mill Creek’s Jackson High. “It was a lot worse than that.”
The highly-heralded receiver, who at 6-foot-4 showed the speed and hands to be the jewel of the Washington’s 2003 recruiting class, started off slowly once training camp began last August and never was able to snap out of it. Not during the rest of fall camp. Not at any time throughout his redshirt season. And definitely not during spring practices.
“Before I hit summer, I was at rock bottom,” said Chambers, appearing surprisingly upbeat as he spoke to Dawgman.com in the cafeteria at The Evergreen State College. “I was at the lowest in the depths you could ever be. I was sitting there as a fourth string receiver, and walk-ons were doing better than me. I caught one pass for zero yards in the spring game, and I was just thinking, “That isn’t cutting it.”
Spring wasn’t an aberration; it was just another setback in a season of difficult times for the then 18-year-old freshman.
What started in fall camp as a few dropped passes snowballed into a season long slump. It affected the way he learned the playbook, it showed in the sluggish manner he ran routes, it festered deep inside of him getting progressively worse as the season wore on.
Did quitting ever enter his mind?
“A bunch of times,” Chambers admitted. “I was like I don’t even know if I like football that much, maybe I’m not that good, maybe I’m not that serious about it. I thought about transferring. I felt embarrassed walking by players and coaches because I felt I had disappointed them.
“But my mentality is not to give up. If I would have quit my mom would have beat my butt.”
Once spring practices ended and school got out a month-and-a-half later, Chambers decided to do what most others in his position wouldn’t do. Instead of devoting himself to football, he dedicated his summer months to anything and everything non-football related.
“I just took a break over the summer,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I went home and didn’t really do anything. I just wanted to get away from everything and see what happened.
“When I went home, I just cleared my mind. I got my mind off of football. I came back and I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, because you never really know until you get out on the field.”
While many other Huskies stayed near campus for the summer and worked out together, Chambers kept to himself. He didn’t know what would come of 2004, if anything, but there was really no alternative. He felt taking a break from the sport was the only quick-fix answer.
“I didn’t hear from anybody,” said Chambers. “I came for one 7-on-7 the whole summer, and that was it. I know that probably disappointed some people, but I think I’ve taken a step forward instead of staying where I was at.”
Even though Chambers’ was intent on taking a break from football, he never lost sight of the importance of staying in shape.
“I know that I wanted to come back and pass the tests. That was really important to me,” he said. “I didn’t want to come back and just flop.”
So, what was the average day like for the super-talented receiver?
“I wanted to chill out this summer. I wanted to have fun with people. I’d usually hang out during the day and every other day at about 11 or 12 o’clock at night I’d go work out at 24 Hour Fitness for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half. On the days where I wasn’t lifting, I’d go run at Lynnwood High and I’d just do the conditioning test that we do.”
Chambers said he’d lower the length of his rests in between wind sprints from the typical 45 seconds that the team uses as a bench-mark to 30 seconds.
“It seemed to help a lot,” he said, now up to 205 pounds after entering 2003 at a slender 185.
“Summer kind of let me start over. When you are there all year long, you never really start over. You just carry over from the last thing you did to the next thing. Whatever you did during the season got carried over into mat drills and whatever you did there got carried into spring ball.
“I feel like I started off at a bad point and it sort of got carried into everything. When I left, I started with a clean slate and I didn’t have that stuff on my mind anymore.”
Chambers entered fall camp last week with what he felt was an entirely new outlook, and did so showing an improved game on the field at the same time.
He isn’t someone who’s going to challenge for a starting spot this season, and he knows that. He isn’t ever going to be the instant-impact guy that the recruiting experts predicted. But he feels like his mind has flushed out the negativity from last season, making him ready for a breakout season in 2004.
“I think if I would have come (to train with the team) this summer, everything would have just caved back over,” said Chambers. “When I removed myself, I feel like I had a chance to clear my head. Getting away kind of turned me into a new person.
“(Last year) I came in and didn’t do what I was expected to do. People said I was overrated. People can say that if they want to, but the way I look at it is that I wasn’t ready. I expect to be that good some day. I just didn’t do it as fast as people said I was going to do. I just thought to myself that I’ll show them one day that I can be that good of a player.”
Each day out on the practice field over the past week, Chambers has noticed that everything is coming easier than last year. He still has to remind himself what to do during each play, but not in the drastic fashion that hampered his abilities in 2003.
He’s running faster routes, showing much better quickness and hauling in nearly every pass thrown his way.
“I feel like the way I’m playing this year and the way I’m playing last year is like night and day,” said the second-year receiver.
“The biggest difference between last year and this year is that last year when I was out on the field I used to tell myself, ‘Don’t drop the ball, don’t drop the ball, don’t drop the ball. If you drop the ball you’ll be put back at fifth string.’ This year I don’t even think about catching the ball. When I’m lining up I’m thinking I’ve got to sight adjust him, and I’m the blitz beater, and if this guy comes I’ve got to cut it off and sit here. It’s coming a lot more natural.
“I’ve dropped the ball, but when I drop the ball it isn’t the end of the world now and I go back to the huddle. That’s probably the biggest difference.”
With each passing day, the future is regaining the bright outlook it once had for Craig Chambers. Only one year into the Husky program, the young receiver has already experienced the wide range of ups and downs of college football, and he hopes his hard work and renewed focus will translate into positives in the not-too-distant future.
“I feel pretty good about where I’m at right now,” he said. “Anybody can always do better. I didn’t know what I was going to be like when I came back. I could have been exactly the same. But I’m not and I’m pretty satisfied with where I’m at. Next year I hope to make an even bigger jump and become a starter.”
"One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation." --Thomas Reed
-
tetoncat
- BobcatNation Hall of Famer
- Posts: 3934
- Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:14 pm
- Location: Montana
Doesn't every drop down come with some type of baggage. It seems that we rip on that on this site. If every thing was going great, the coaches liked them, they were playing etc. the guy would not be looking at transfering down. This is the case in about every drop down situation.
Sports is not bigger than life
-
whizonthegriz
- BobcatNation Team Captain
- Posts: 369
- Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:11 pm
- Location: Washington
Joey Thomas dropped down from the Dawgs and he turned out being pretty special. If you remember his story--Joey got into trouble for not being a team player and having a poor attitude, and we lucked out in getting a great CB. Let's hope that we luck into this one, too. My family has season tickets for the Huskies and they all thought Chambers was going to be the next great one. Hopefully he will be the next great Bobcat!
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious," Charles Shackleford.