Thunder LB Chris Whitaker accepts responsibility as a role model
Published on April 15, 2009 under American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Utah Blaze News Release
OREM, Utah - The two bachelor's degrees Utah Valley Thunder linebacker Chris Whitaker now holds serve as proof to him that someone cared about him. "I really didn?t put forth a lot of effort with academics until I was told that I could go to college for free by playing football," he said. "Once I realized that I started hitting the books. I had to stay out of trouble." Those people, among others, were his grandmother, Lillie Tiller, and his high school football coach, Glen Schott. "No matter what you do or where you came from you can always be successful," said Whitaker, who grew up in East St. Louis, Ill. "If you get the opportunity you have to take advantage of it. I had a great opportunity. Football was my outlet. I wasn?t the smartest kid in the world." In high school, Whitaker excelled on the field by earning All-City and All-State honors in the state of Illinois as well as in the classroom and the combination of both earned him scholarship to Iowa State University. He played in 10 games and started in three as a true freshman for the Cyclones and finished the year with 32 tackles. The remainder of his time he spent battling major knee, leg and ankle injuries. In the meantime he earned a bachelor?s degree in communications and sociology. He also got a minor criminology. Despite his injuries he still has tryouts with several professional teams (NFL and AFL), but he never made a roster. After taking a couple of years off to continue his work with at-risk kids and adults and the mentally handicapped, he jumped back into the game, playing with the Arizona Adrenaline last year and now with the Utah Valley Thunder. Whitaker, 28, accepts the responsibility of being role model placed upon him as a football player. ?It?s good to live your life the best possible way because you never know who?s looking,? he said. ?You should do the right things all the time because you never know who?s watching.? When he?s not playing football he continues to works with at-risk individuals and tries to help them make better decisions. ?I try to help them realize we all make mistakes in life and it?s about how you respond to those mistakes and how you move forward,? he said. The Thunder (3-1) will look for their fourth consecutive win of the season when they host the Ogden Knights (0-4) Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the McKay Events Center (ThunderDome) located on the campus of Utah Valley University. Season tickets are on sale through the team's website, www.utahvalleythunder.com. Single-game tickets are also available through SmithTix and at the McKay Events Center Ticket Office.
American Indoor Football Association Stories from April 15, 2009
- Thunder LB Chris Whitaker accepts responsibility as a role model - Utah Blaze
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