Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
"A Blessing In Disguise"
September 03, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Sometimes in life our biggest blessings come at the most inopportune moments.
In the 2008 season opener at Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State's star linebacker Jamar Chaney suffered a broken left tibia and torn ligaments in his ankle and was lost for the year.
"It's not a good time in your life," Chaney said. "It's your senior season, you lost the game and you're out for the season. It was kind of tough at that moment."
Little did Chaney know as he was writhing in pain on the turf of Joe Aillet Stadium, that his life was about to change and for the better.
Chaney underwent surgery back in Starkville the following week and his mother Alice made the 12-hour drive from Fort Pierce, Florida with a young USF student named Shamira that Chaney had met online only a few weeks prior.
Jamar and Shamira have been together ever since and recently celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary. The Chaneys also now have three children: Rhaelyn (7), Eli (5) and Leo (10 months).
"It was a blessing in disguise," Chaney said. "We probably would've never met if I wouldn't have got hurt. It would've just stayed online because my mom wasn't coming all the way to Mississippi. I would've never met my wife and never would've had my kids.
"I also never would've met a lot of my friends like Fletcher Cox, Chad Bumphis and all those guys because they came in that next year. I also became closer to Christ during that time too and ended up getting baptized that year. That's a lot of stuff that happened that I wouldn't change for the world. Looking back, that (injury) impacted my life a lot in great ways."
The injury is not the only life-altering moment Chaney experienced in college. He originally signed with Georgia out of high school only to learn months after national signing day that the university's admissions department rejected his SAT score.
Chaney quickly lined up official visits to Rutgers, N.C. State, Maryland and Mississippi State just weeks before he was slated to start classes and preseason camp.
"After I left all of those visits, my mind was made up," Chaney said. "It was either Maryland or N.C. State."
But right before boarding the plane following his final official visit, Chaney prayed that God would give him a sign on which school to attend. The Lord's answer came swiftly.
"When I landed in West Palm Beach, I had a voicemail from Maryland and North Carolina State saying they weren't going to be able to let me into school," Chaney said.
Chaney and Mississippi State ultimately proved to be a perfect match. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder made 198 tackles during his four-plus seasons with the Bulldogs, including 11 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He led the team in tackles during the 2007 and 2009 seasons and was an All-SEC selection.
After being granted a medical redshirt to return in 2009, Chaney was chosen as the team captain and went on to play in the Senior Bowl, where he was named Defensive MVP.
Chaney was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft and spent the next five years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. He appeared in 54 career contests and drew 23 starts.
"My first time being in an NFL stadium was when I played," Chaney said. "That was always my dream and my goal to make it to the NFL. By God's grace I was able to make it. I had a great time while I was playing in the NFL, met a lot of people and got to travel the world. It set me up for life. I made some smart investments and it propelled me financially."
Once his playing career concluded, Chaney decided to get into coaching and did so at his high school alma mater, West Centennial. In addition to his duties as head football coach, Chaney also taught P.E. and health classes.
"I knew I wanted to be a coach at a very young age," Chaney said. "My mindset was to play football for as long as I could and once I'm done, I want to coach. After I got done playing football, I wanted to do something I was passionate about and do something that helps other people. A coach does that.
"A lot of the things I did (coaching) in high school have helped me with the college game as well. I know how to interact with this younger generation coming up and their parents because as a head coach you have to do that."
Chaney's first college job took him to the University of Florida in 2019 where he worked as director of player personnel and assistant linebackers coach before joining Mike Leach's staff at Mississippi State as a senior defensive analyst last year.
"I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have his experience in the room with us," said MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. "He can probably relate to the guys a little better because he played here and has played in this league. He knows all the rivalries and the important traditions certainly better than I do. I know the linebackers certainly enjoy when he's talking to them more than they enjoy me."
Although Chaney is not permitted to coach per NCAA rules, he can assist in an off the field capacity. He is also a huge proponent of Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive philosophy.
"I've never been around a scheme like his, but I love the way he teaches it," Chaney said. "His scheme, in general, would've been something I would have loved to play in."
In addition to his role on Leach's staff, the now 34-year old is also the model MSU is using for its football promotional pictures and video. Yes, that's Chaney under the dark helmet visor wearing the Bulldogs' uniform combinations.
"That was my first time to put back on the maroon and white since I took it off after we beat Ole Miss in '09," Chaney said.
For the past two summers, Chaney has also taken part in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the NFL. In 2020, he worked alongside his former head coach Andy Reid – now with the Kansas City Chiefs – and this past summer studied under Joe Judge of the New York Giants.
Judge is a former Mississippi State quarterback and was the linebackers graduate assistant coach for the Bulldogs back when Chaney played.
"It was a great experience and a great opportunity for me to get up there and learn and show them what I can do as well," Chaney said.
Chaney's trips back to Starkville had been sporadic during his playing days and early coaching career. In fact, he hadn't been back on campus in six years prior to his accepting his current position.
"So much has changed but so much is still the same," Chaney said. "Coming back brought back a lot of memories. It was a surreal moment to be able to bring my wife and my kids back to the place where me and my wife met and where I played football at."
Chaney's journey has been filled with sudden and unexpected twists but it's been a life he can certainly be proud of.
"I wouldn't change it for the world," Chaney said. "All of that shaped me into the husband and father that I am today."
In the 2008 season opener at Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State's star linebacker Jamar Chaney suffered a broken left tibia and torn ligaments in his ankle and was lost for the year.
"It's not a good time in your life," Chaney said. "It's your senior season, you lost the game and you're out for the season. It was kind of tough at that moment."
Little did Chaney know as he was writhing in pain on the turf of Joe Aillet Stadium, that his life was about to change and for the better.
Chaney underwent surgery back in Starkville the following week and his mother Alice made the 12-hour drive from Fort Pierce, Florida with a young USF student named Shamira that Chaney had met online only a few weeks prior.
Jamar and Shamira have been together ever since and recently celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary. The Chaneys also now have three children: Rhaelyn (7), Eli (5) and Leo (10 months).
"It was a blessing in disguise," Chaney said. "We probably would've never met if I wouldn't have got hurt. It would've just stayed online because my mom wasn't coming all the way to Mississippi. I would've never met my wife and never would've had my kids.
"I also never would've met a lot of my friends like Fletcher Cox, Chad Bumphis and all those guys because they came in that next year. I also became closer to Christ during that time too and ended up getting baptized that year. That's a lot of stuff that happened that I wouldn't change for the world. Looking back, that (injury) impacted my life a lot in great ways."
The injury is not the only life-altering moment Chaney experienced in college. He originally signed with Georgia out of high school only to learn months after national signing day that the university's admissions department rejected his SAT score.
Chaney quickly lined up official visits to Rutgers, N.C. State, Maryland and Mississippi State just weeks before he was slated to start classes and preseason camp.
"After I left all of those visits, my mind was made up," Chaney said. "It was either Maryland or N.C. State."
But right before boarding the plane following his final official visit, Chaney prayed that God would give him a sign on which school to attend. The Lord's answer came swiftly.
"When I landed in West Palm Beach, I had a voicemail from Maryland and North Carolina State saying they weren't going to be able to let me into school," Chaney said.
Chaney and Mississippi State ultimately proved to be a perfect match. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder made 198 tackles during his four-plus seasons with the Bulldogs, including 11 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He led the team in tackles during the 2007 and 2009 seasons and was an All-SEC selection.
After being granted a medical redshirt to return in 2009, Chaney was chosen as the team captain and went on to play in the Senior Bowl, where he was named Defensive MVP.
Chaney was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft and spent the next five years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. He appeared in 54 career contests and drew 23 starts.
"My first time being in an NFL stadium was when I played," Chaney said. "That was always my dream and my goal to make it to the NFL. By God's grace I was able to make it. I had a great time while I was playing in the NFL, met a lot of people and got to travel the world. It set me up for life. I made some smart investments and it propelled me financially."
Once his playing career concluded, Chaney decided to get into coaching and did so at his high school alma mater, West Centennial. In addition to his duties as head football coach, Chaney also taught P.E. and health classes.
"I knew I wanted to be a coach at a very young age," Chaney said. "My mindset was to play football for as long as I could and once I'm done, I want to coach. After I got done playing football, I wanted to do something I was passionate about and do something that helps other people. A coach does that.
"A lot of the things I did (coaching) in high school have helped me with the college game as well. I know how to interact with this younger generation coming up and their parents because as a head coach you have to do that."
Chaney's first college job took him to the University of Florida in 2019 where he worked as director of player personnel and assistant linebackers coach before joining Mike Leach's staff at Mississippi State as a senior defensive analyst last year.
"I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have his experience in the room with us," said MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. "He can probably relate to the guys a little better because he played here and has played in this league. He knows all the rivalries and the important traditions certainly better than I do. I know the linebackers certainly enjoy when he's talking to them more than they enjoy me."
Although Chaney is not permitted to coach per NCAA rules, he can assist in an off the field capacity. He is also a huge proponent of Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive philosophy.
"I've never been around a scheme like his, but I love the way he teaches it," Chaney said. "His scheme, in general, would've been something I would have loved to play in."
Week one classic fit ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/gEgiBcgqxO
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 2, 2021
In addition to his role on Leach's staff, the now 34-year old is also the model MSU is using for its football promotional pictures and video. Yes, that's Chaney under the dark helmet visor wearing the Bulldogs' uniform combinations.
"That was my first time to put back on the maroon and white since I took it off after we beat Ole Miss in '09," Chaney said.
For the past two summers, Chaney has also taken part in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the NFL. In 2020, he worked alongside his former head coach Andy Reid – now with the Kansas City Chiefs – and this past summer studied under Joe Judge of the New York Giants.
Judge is a former Mississippi State quarterback and was the linebackers graduate assistant coach for the Bulldogs back when Chaney played.
"It was a great experience and a great opportunity for me to get up there and learn and show them what I can do as well," Chaney said.
Chaney's trips back to Starkville had been sporadic during his playing days and early coaching career. In fact, he hadn't been back on campus in six years prior to his accepting his current position.
"So much has changed but so much is still the same," Chaney said. "Coming back brought back a lot of memories. It was a surreal moment to be able to bring my wife and my kids back to the place where me and my wife met and where I played football at."
Chaney's journey has been filled with sudden and unexpected twists but it's been a life he can certainly be proud of.
"I wouldn't change it for the world," Chaney said. "All of that shaped me into the husband and father that I am today."
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