Rigors of football don't faze Faulkner's Chinoski

Frank Chinoski saw Faulkner's football facilities when the program had just started. As the first

Faulkner football player, he visited head coach Jim Nichols at the coach's first office -- a single-wide trailer.

The original Faulkner facilities were neither attractive nor impressive. Then again, they were hardly the worst Chinoski had seen.
Chinoski, who enters his sophomore year as the starting strong safety, enlisted in the Marines during his senior year -- 10 days after Sept. 11, 2001. Chinoski previously considered joining the Air Force, but "9-11 (ticked) me off pretty good, so I decided to join the Marine Corps."
Since then, he has served in Iraq for six months and spent a double-shift in Afghanistan, staying for just a few days shy of a year. Chinoski, who was a sergeant in the Marines, was already in Kuwait when the war started.
"I saw Iraq before those people had any freedom," Chinoski said. "They had to really work to have anything at all."
It was going to take a lot more than an unimpressive trailer to keep him from playing football. After Chinoski's four years with the Marines, he started working construction for his stepfather, Joe Prokop. When Prokop heard rumors about Faulkner starting a football program, he encouraged Chinoski to take a look.
That's when Chinoski paid Nichols a visit.
Chinoski told Nichols that he played in high school and played in a base league at Camp Lajeune (N.C.) where he made the all-base team.
Nichols was relieved to have someone interested in his program so early and told Chinoski he would be happy to have him on the team. Two days later, Chinoski was enrolled full-time at Faulkner University.
Chinoski joined the football team because he wanted to play defense and hit people. Ask him his preference between coming up with a big turnover or delivering a crushing blow over the middle, he'll tell you he wants the hit -- every time. In fact, Chinoski moved from free safety to strong safety because he enjoys helping out in run support.
When Philip Moore suffered an injury and had to sit out the season, the coaches asked Chinoski to give quarterback a shot.
Chinoski moved to quarterback, where he played in high school, and split snaps with Chad Kilgore for the first half of the 2007 season.
"I came in to play defense -- I wanted to play defense," Chinoski said. "I had played some quarterback, but didn't know if I could play at this level."
It didn't take long to get an answer.
Chinoski threw a 30-yard touchdown pass on Faulkner's first-ever possession. That turned out to be Chinoski's only touchdown pass in five games as a quarterback, but he did throw for 324 yards in limited action.
Finally, the week of the Huntingdon game, Chinoski was allowed to move back to safety on a full-time basis.
Chinoski said opposing offenses knew he had just switched from quarterback and picked on him last year. He's determined to not allow a repeat this season.
"Being able to spend a whole year at safety, I won't get picked on when I get in," Chinoski said. "I'm comfortable with it now and I don't have any doubts I can play and be effective."
Chinoski is only a sophomore, but at 24, he isn't a normal sophomore. In fact, he's one of the team's greatest leaders.
When teammates start complaining during sprints, Nichols said, Chinoski has even coined an unusual phrase: "It could be worse. We could be in Iraq."
"They think we've got it tough here and they don't know half of it," Nichols said. "That's why, when Frank says something, I think everyone listens."
Faulkner wraps up its spring at 10 a.m. today spring game at the Cramton Bowl.

-Luke Brietzke Special to the Advertiser

Eagles resurrect Thom's football career

When Sean Thom transferred from North Dakota State to Okaloosa-Walton Community College after his sophomore year, he thought his college football days were over.
Thom had redshirted on the football team at North Dakota State, but he focused primarily on baseball. After problems arose between Thom and the baseball coach, he decided it was time for a change.
That change led him closer to home and, Thom thought, closer to Division I baseball.
"I honestly didn't think I would play football again," Thom said. "Okaloosa-Walton is a real big baseball school. Going in, I thought I would play fall, spring and then coach (Keith) Griffin is usually good about getting players to the next level. I thought I would get into Division I baseball."
Shoulder trouble derailed the second baseman-turned-linebacker's baseball career. That's when he decided to give football another chance.
When Faulkner offered Thom the opportunity to play football again, he jumped at the chance. While Thom hadn't played a football game in two years, he said it didn't take any length of time to get back into the game.
His stats prove that assertion. Thom finished as Faulkner's leading tackler last season. "Sean's one of those guys that you'll see a big hit on the field and you know it's Sean,"
Faulkner coach Jim Nichols said. "You can pretty much bet on it. He knows the defense and he knows where the ball is going to go."
More importantly, Nichols said Thom's so smart that it's like having a second coach on the field. Despite having transferred colleges twice, Thom is a 4.0 student who has never earned anything lower than an 'A' in his academic career.
"It's just one of those things in my family," Thom said. "My dad graduated at the top of his class at Troy and went into the military. They always drilled into me getting my education."
Nichols' thought about Thom acting as a coach on the field is also accurate. When Thom, who will be a redshirt junior, finishes his college career, he hopes to join a major Division I program as a graduate assistant.
One day, Thom hopes to be a Division I coach. As for now, Thom is focused on trying to help Faulkner improve on its 1-9 inaugural season last year. He said the attitude within the program would help the Eagles with a quick turnaround.
"I think we're a lot more confident," Thom said. "Last year, coming into spring, we couldn't really have spring practice and no one knew the coaches or other players too well. Now we've developed friendships and bonds."
And now, at his third college, Thom seems to have found his home.Luke BrietzkeSpecial to the Advertiser
When Sean Thom transferred from North Dakota State to Okaloosa-Walton Community College after his sophomore year, he thought his college football days were over.
Thom had redshirted on the football team at North Dakota State, but he focused primarily on baseball. After problems arose between Thom and the baseball coach, he decided it was time for a change.
That change led him closer to home and, Thom thought, closer to Division I baseball.
"I honestly didn't think I would play football again," Thom said. "Okaloosa-Walton is a real big baseball school. Going in, I thought I would play fall, spring and then coach (Keith) Griffin is usually good about getting players to the next level. I thought I would get into Division I baseball."
Shoulder trouble derailed the second baseman-turned-linebacker's baseball career. That's when he decided to give football another chance.
When Faulkner offered Thom the opportunity to play football again, he jumped at the chance. While Thom hadn't played a football game in two years, he said it didn't take any length of time to get back into the game.
His stats prove that assertion. Thom finished as Faulkner's leading tackler last season. "Sean's one of those guys that you'll see a big hit on the field and you know it's Sean,"
Faulkner coach Jim Nichols said. "You can pretty much bet on it. He knows the defense and he knows where the ball is going to go."
More importantly, Nichols said Thom's so smart that it's like having a second coach on the field. Despite having transferred colleges twice, Thom is a 4.0 student who has never earned anything lower than an 'A' in his academic career.
"It's just one of those things in my family," Thom said. "My dad graduated at the top of his class at Troy and went into the military. They always drilled into me getting my education."
Nichols' thought about Thom acting as a coach on the field is also accurate. When Thom, who will be a redshirt junior, finishes his college career, he hopes to join a major Division I program as a graduate assistant.
One day, Thom hopes to be a Division I coach. As for now, Thom is focused on trying to help Faulkner improve on its 1-9 inaugural season last year. He said the attitude within the program would help the Eagles with a quick turnaround.
"I think we're a lot more confident," Thom said. "Last year, coming into spring, we couldn't really have spring practice and no one knew the coaches or other players too well. Now we've developed friendships and bonds."
And now, at his third college, Thom seems to have found his home.

-Luke Brietzke
Special to the Advertiser

Nichols' Eagles excited about new offense!

Jim Nichols is an Auburn guy. Faulkner's football coach, who spent three years as a graduate assistant on the Plains, used the Tigers as a template while building the Eagles from scratch in 2006. He used the same terms, held players to the same code of conduct, mimicked Tommy Tuberville's practice schedules and based the school's new fieldhouse on designs he saw at Auburn.
Now Nichols is hoping the Tigers' new offense can help his team.
Faulkner is in the midst of installing the same aggressive passing scheme Tony Franklin brought to the Plains in December.
"We needed something that would make us less predictable and, you know, that's exactly what they're doing at Auburn," Nichols said. "When times got tough, we didn't know how to win. We couldn't score points at the end. We have a lot of skill guys and I wanted a way to get the ball in their hands more often."
Faulkner finished 1-9 during its first season in 2007. The team's offense averaged eight points though the first four games, though increased familiarity helped the team double that rate during its final six games.
That wasn't enough.
Nichols, who learned the scheme during a January consultation with Franklin in Nashville, Tenn., thought his backs and wideouts represented untapped potential last season. He also believes his new quarterbacks, Philip Moore and T.J. Jacobs, provide broad skill sets that will frustrate defenses.
"This is going to make us much more productive because we have speed on the outside that is above most other teams," said Moore, a former standout at Edgewood Academy. "Speed is our biggest strength. I've been surprised by how quickly it's come along for us. We're only a few weeks in and it works. I thought it would take a while."
Franklin's offense emphasizes quick passes to receivers and, ideally, uses the quarterback as a featured running-game element. Nichols isn't prepared to phase out his tailbacks just yet.
The Eagles took the ideas gleaned from Franklin and matched them with running-game plans borrowed from West Virginia. The Mountaineers use a spread scheme, yet found ways to make their tailback an every-down threat.
"The thing about this offense is that you can get away from running the ball if you're not careful," Nichols said. "We want to run at least 40 percent of the time. We like running the ball. That's something I feel strongly about. We're going to attack teams on the ground no matter what."
Everyone at Faulkner talks about the speed.
Power seems almost taboo.
That's because the Eagles didn't have much in 2007. Players arrived on campus just before spring drills and many weren't following workout routines. A summer of sparsely attended voluntary workouts did little to help players gain strength.
That's changing.
The coaching staff managed offseason weight training for the first time this winter. Nichols said a significant number of players will stick around this summer to forward progress made in the weight room.
"We were big like everybody else, but they were stronger. It was easy to see," Nichols said. "Having an offseason to get these kids in shape and help them build their bodies for what they do in the fall is key. It makes a big difference."
Faulkner players say they're starting to feel like college players now. The program spent approximately $350,000 to build the Lee Family Fieldhouse, which includes coaches' offices, a training room, an equipment area and a spacious locker room modeled after -- you guessed it -- Auburn's digs at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Nichols' top priority is to build a synthetic-turf field adjacent to the field house. Preliminary grade work has begun, though the dirt will remain bare until the Eagles raise $500,000.
Nichols hopes construction can begin in earnest this summer.
The team currently practices at Alabama Christian Academy and plays games in Cramton Bowl. The team will hold its first Blue-White spring game there Saturday at 10 a.m.
"You can look around and see that football is coming along," said Jacobs, one of the team's top two quarterbacks. "Once we start winning, it'll all come together. We just have to keep getting better."

Cold Wind and Hot Action!

Monday was our first day in full pads and things looked good. The last cold front of the year swept through which gave us temps in the low 50's. However, the spirited practice heated things up real fast. The guys were itching to hit and they got their wish. We spent a good portion of the practice on Oklahoma drill. If you don't know or have never experienced Oklahoma drill then you are missing one of the best parts of full contact football. Coach Nichols was very excited to see the guys now that they have had a year of strength and conditioning under their belts. Nichols stated, "this where you see who wants to play and who wants to watch from the sideline". He was right.

The usual suspects stood out. Sean Thom, Brian Fulgham, and Frank Chinoski made some noise. Most of Brian's noise came from his mouth, but that's par for the course. However, the guys on offense would not be out done. Jake Lanier, Luther Burton, and Oran Alexander added a lot of punch to the drill. Little Bobby Britton was in almost every time. In fact, I had to hold him out to allow other guys to get some action. Sean Thom and Matt Fleck added a little extra excitement, but it's spring ball and that is to be expected.

Things are gearing up for our first scrimmage on Saturday. Things are starting to come together. Spring has gone very well and it will be interesting to see who is ahead of the curve on Saturday. Most people always seem to think that defense is always ahead of the offense, but this spring may prove that to be a falsehood. Either way, the players are responding well and are having a blast. Bottom line, everyone is excited to be out doing what they love to do. This entire team is truly blessed to be allowed to play and coach the game they love. Not to mention that we are doing it at a wonderful university that has a campus behind us. God is truly good.

GO EAGLES!!!!

April Showers...

Well, spring practice started on Thursday and things went great. I don't know who was more excited, the players or the coaches. The overall attitude of the team was very upbeat. I think this was due to the fact that ACA is allowing us to practice on their fields this spring. So, for the first time in Faulkner football history, we didn't have to pile into cars and drive to a practice location off campus. This alone gave all of us a sense of team that we have not experienced since we started the program. ACA deserves a BIG pat on the back for allowing us to use their facilities this spring. I believe this gesture from ACA will do a lot for our season this fall. In a way, we now feel like we play for two schools and want to do both schools proud. Thank you ACA.

The first practice went great. Both offense and defense looked excited and were wide open. A lot of people came out to see the first spring practice. One person even commented on how good we looked for the first practice compared to last spring. The quarterbacks looked good for putting the ball in the air for the first time. Phillip Moore, Blake Franks, and TJ Jacobs all looked good and now the race is on. Coach Nichols, who took the QB's under his wings this year, had the guys ready and well prepared.

Now for the down side of practice. When it rains, it pours. So far this spring this saying holds true. We been rained out of two practices already. The weather looks good for the rest of the week, so we'll strap it up again on Tuesday.

GO EAGLES!