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Liberty is the home for second chances

August 29, 2008 12:16 am

BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

LYNCHBURG--

Asa Chapman needed two years at Fork Union Military Academy and a brush with the law to re-emerge with a clearer head, while all Alex Stadler needed was a chance to get over some homesickness.

The three former Free Lance-Star All-Area football players got their second chances at Liberty University, a Baptist liberal arts college founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Hicks, a former Culpeper High star, transferred to Liberty from Virginia Tech.

Ex-Orange standout Chapman signed with the University of Virginia and West Virginia, but was denied entrance into both schools. He enrolled in Liberty in June.

Stadler went from Liberty High to the University of Alabama before he landed with the Flames this past spring semester.

Liberty head coach Danny Rocco said the school is becoming a safe haven for transfer students because of its belief in redemption.

The Flames went 8-3 and won the Big South Conference last year with the help of Hicks and five transfers from Virginia, among other transients.

"I think the fact that we're a faith-based university makes us very open to second chances," said Rocco, who initially recruited all three players when he was an assistant coach at Virginia. "Everybody in life gets to some point, some time where they would need or welcome a second opportunity."

Third school a charm

The 6-foot-5, 385-pound Chapman was the No. 2-ranked defensive tackle in the state of Virginia's 2006 senior class. He signed with the Cavaliers that year, but didn't qualify academically to be admitted. He enrolled in Fork Union in an effort to qualify for Virginia, but never achieved the standard.

The Cavaliers cut ties with Chapman in January 2007 and the following month he signed with West Virginia.

In June 2007, Chapman was arrested and charged with felony malicious wounding. Chapman said West Virginia wouldn't allow him into school until the matter was resolved, so he headed back to Fork Union.

Once the Mountaineers officially released Chapman from his scholarship, a flood of schools, including Liberty, Toledo, Marshall and North Carolina A&T, began to contact FUMA head coach John Shuman.

The case was dismissed June 19 in Orange County Circuit Court, leaving Chapman relieved as he finally prepares for his first college football season.

"Once you hit the bottom, you can't go nowhere but up," Chapman said. "I never gave up. That's not in my DNA."

Chapman has four years of eligibility at Liberty. He's projected as a backup nose guard in the Flames' 3-4 defensive alignment. Rocco said Chapman's impressed coaches with the way he moves considering his size.

"This is a kid that has amazing size and he's a conditioned athlete," Rocco said. "It's a little bit rare to see a guy that size who is that conditioned."

Chapman said his mother and grandparents encouraged him throughout his academic and legal troubles. He said his two years in Fork Union's military lifestyle were also instrumental.

"The one thing you could not do there is stop," Chapman said. "You had to push through everything, and that's what I'm still doing today."

Regaining his pride

When Hicks departed Culpeper in 2004, the athletic 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive back was rated by recruiting Web site rivals.com as the No. 2 overall player in Virginia, ahead of future NFL first-round draft picks Jerod Mayo and Chris Long and New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

But Hicks' college career didn't go according to plan. He signed with Maryland, but wasn't admitted.

That's when Virginia Tech swooped into the picture. Hicks redshirted his first year with the Hokies, but the subsequent two seasons were an even bigger challenge.

He struggled to pick up the nuances of big-time college football. He didn't crack the Hokies' depth chart and was relegated to scout-team duty.

"It crushed my pride," Hicks said. "Just having the opportunity to perform on the big stage and not uphold that was devastating for me."

Hicks decided to transfer and enrolled in Liberty in January 2007. He said he and others chose Liberty as their transfer destination because it's a program on the rise.

"I just had to come here and rebuild," Hicks said. "I think I've done a good job so far."

In between Hicks' time at Tech and Liberty, he briefly worked at Merchant's Grocery Company in Culpeper.

His father, William Morton, said that experience taught his son valuable life lessons.

"I told him, 'You've got 12 years of high school and two years of college and look where it's gotten you--because you didn't complete your goal,'" Morton said. "It woke him up. It showed him that athletics are temporary. You have to prepare yourself for life."

Hicks is still learning that lesson. He couldn't participate in the opening of fall practice until he caught up academically.

The senior will begin his second season at cornerback for the Flames tomorrow when they host North Greenville College.

Last year, Hicks played in 10 games and started eight, finishing with three interceptions and 43 tackles.

Rocco said Hicks is still maturing on and off the field, but lately he's shown a renewed commitment. He said if Hicks has a big senior season, NFL teams will take a look because of his size and athleticism.

"He'll pass the eyeball test," Rocco said. "But if he has the kind of year we think he's capable of having, there will be enough meat and potatoes there for somebody to say, 'This kid's worth a look.'"

'Twelve hours from home'

Rocco said the coaching staffs at Virginia and Virginia Tech were shocked when Stadler committed to Alabama in October 2005.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Stadler was the top-rated offensive lineman in Virginia and considered a lock to stay in-state.

Rocco still remembers Stadler's "unique" highlight tape from his days at Virginia.

"It not only had football clips, it also had a lot of clips of him in the weight room, the conditioning program and the agility program," Rocco said. "There were a lot of things we saw a big kid do as far as body control, athleticism and work ethic."

The tape immediately came to Rocco's mind when he heard Stadler was leaving Alabama, so he called Liberty High head coach Tom Buzzo. Stadler visited Liberty and Coastal Carolina before settling on the Flames.

Stadler, a sophomore backup right guard, admitted he had low expectations of Liberty before he visited its campus.

"When I came here, I realized the whole program is really up and coming," Stadler said. "Great things are happening and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Recruited by ex-Alabama head coach Mike Shula, Stadler said he was disappointed he wasn't in the mix for playing time when Nick Saban took over in 2007.

"And being 12 hours from home wasn't good either," Stadler added. "So it's just good to be back in Virginia."

Stadler, Hicks and Chapman are now all close to home--and appreciative of their second chances.

Rocco said each player finally forgot about the hype of Division I-A football and asked himself the essential question when picking a school: "Will I be successful?"

"The reality is what a lot of these transfers are realizing is that's the only thing that matters," Rocco said. "And they're coming to our place and everything is kind of building, so they say, 'OK. It's not the ACC. It's not the SEC, but it's a high level of football--and it's a place I can be successful.'"

Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com