SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
Here's an underdog story of the college football season you might have missed, Trinidad Chambliss' meteoric rise. A humble kid from Division II, Ferris State in Michigan, Chambliss transferred to the Division I, University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss as it's known, this season, and led his team to one victory short of competing in tomorrow night's national college football playoff. NPR's Jason Fuller explains.
JASON FULLER, BYLINE: Trinidad Chambliss is on his way up. He used recent changes to the NCAA's transfer eligibility rules to move to Ole Miss this season and used his momentum on the field to make commercial hay, too.
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Rumors of the apparent transfer of Trinidad Chambliss have been circling. The Ole Miss quarterback makes his decision...
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: ...Coming up next.
FULLER: An AT&T ad captured the excitement around the player and brought his face to America's screens. He wowed his coaches over the summer, and when chance presented itself early in the fall, Chambliss took over in dazzling fashion...
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Chambliss retreating. Back near his own goal line, picks up a block. Here we go again. Lacey (ph), the catch.
FULLER: ...And led his team to victory in the Sugar Bowl.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Chambliss lobbing it up behind the defense.
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TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS: I think I'm just a gamer, you know? You got to make a play. I'm a playmaker, as well, so, you know, I trust my guys to make the right decisions and make the right plays, too.
FULLER: That's Chamblis' reaction on ESPN after he threw a spectacular 40-yard pass.
TONY ANNESE: He's the kind of guy that hundredth of second is going to make the right play 'cause he's been trained to do that, you know? Like, mentally he believes. The team believes in him.
FULLER: Tony Annese is the head coach for Ferris State University, where Trinidad Chambliss played before transferring to Ole Miss. Chambliss wasn't always the starting quarterback. Annese says Chambliss' mental resilience was a part of his success.
ANNESE: You cannot, like, be a superstar unless you're willing to grow when you're not the guy. You know what I mean? And he grew all the time. Like, every day, he was trying to get better.
FULLER: Old-fashioned hard work was something Chambliss was accustomed to.
TRENT CHAMBLISS: I used to throw a baseball as hard as I could because he could catch it, and his hand-to-eye coordination was so advanced. If you were just driving by in a car, it'd be disturbing. It'd be, like, why is that man throwing that ball that hard at that child, you know? I mean, what you couldn't hear is, throw it harder, Daddy. Throw it higher.
FULLER: That's Trent Chambliss, Chambliss' dad.
CHERYL CHAMBLISS: Trinidad has a unique ability to galvanize people. It was evident when he was younger, playing outside, especially when he would be doing fun drills with his dad. The neighborhood kids would come around, and there'd be 10 or 20 little kids just all doing what he did.
FULLER: And that's Chambliss' mom, Cheryl Chambliss. The family is close and are open about their commitment to their faith. Their regular pre-game prayer went viral on social media.
C CHAMBLISS: It encapsules (ph) requesting and confessing that the Lord Jesus Christ is covering not just Trinidad, but the entire team with protection, with health, with clarity and claiming success.
FULLER: They leaned on faith all season, and they're leaning on it again as Trinidad Chambliss' football future takes a legal detour. Chambliss' attorneys are suing the NCAA after his appeal for an additional year of eligibility they say lost to illness in 2022 was denied. Either way, his future is bright. Most NFL scouts project Chambliss as the third quarterback selected in this spring's draft. The legend of Trinidad magic could become a Sunday special, but there's a chance he'll remain a Saturday night delight. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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