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.
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
1 comment:
Great story.
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