Good luck finding anyone associated with the Navy football program that does not love Brandon Chatman.
It’s pretty much impossible not to love a guy who always smiles and radiates pure joy. Chatman simply loves being a Navy football player. You will never see the junior snipe angry, upset or depressed because those types of feelings are just not part of his makeup.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been around Brandon when he hasn’t been smiling and happy,” Eli Heidenreich said of his fellow starting snipe. “He’s one of my favorite people on the team to be around because he’s just got a fantastic personality. I think that translates over to the field.”
Chatman’s upbeat, positive personality belies a challenging upbringing as the son of a single mother who had to help out around the home and bear significant responsibility from a young age. There were tough times along the way, but they always had each other and that was more than enough.
Tianni Brown raised her first born son the right way, demanded he focus on academics and was adamant about Brandon being careful about those he associated with. She worked hard in a variety of jobs over the years and there many times when Chatman was home alone and had to make the conscious decision to do his homework and stay out of trouble.
While in middle school, Chatman also had to help take care of two younger brothers, who are now 14 and 10 years old.
“I tried very hard to keep Brandon motivated and in a good mindset,” Brown said. “I wanted Brandon to develop some leadership skills and be responsible. He didn’t have much of a choice because I worked a lot, so he had to handle things and act older than he was.”
Brown moved to Japan when Brandon was 2 years old because she was dating a man who served in the military and wanted to get out of a bad area of Jacksonville, Florida. They lived briefly in Washington, D.C. before moving to the Fort Lauderdale area when Brandon was 4.
Chatman remembers moving a lot and at one point living in a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment.
“I feel like my mom always made it seem like nothing was wrong. She always went out of her way to make sure I made it to football practice and got to do the things I wanted to do,” Chatman said. “She sacrificed a lot just to try to give me a better life.”
Throughout high school, Chatman lived in the garage so his mother could rent out his room in order to make ends meet. He did not hesitate when asked if he would be willing to do so.
“There was not even a question. I wanted to do whatever I could to help her out. I felt like I owed that to her,” Chatman said.
Brown described Chatman as “whiny” and somewhat of a “momma’s boy” during his early elementary school years, so she signed him up for youth football to get male guidance from coaches and be around other boys.
“Brandon took to football right off the bat and has loved it ever since. Playing football helped him grow up,” Brown said. “Anytime Brandon didn’t behave the way he was supposed to, I would threaten to not let him play football and he would straighten up immediately. That was the one thing he cared about the most.”
Chatman’s biological father reentered his life when he was 10 years old. Timothy Chatman initially did not want his son to play football since he was so small, but saw quickly that he had the toughness and durability. It was also obvious Brandon had the speed, athleticism and quickness to level the playing field against bigger, stronger opponents.
Chatman was a rare five-year letterman at Calvary Christian Academy. The undersized slot receiver was not highly recruited and was headed to Warner University, an NAIA school. Chatman would have needed to take out a student loan and work throughout college to pay it back.
Opportunity of a lifetime
Navy contacted Chatman three days before the start of the February national signing period. A committed recruit had not achieved the test scores they needed for admission and there was a spot for a slot back if Chatman was interested.
Chatman wanted to jump at the offer, but his mother made him spend time researching the Naval Academy. She understood the gravity of the commitment and wanted to make sure Brandon knew what he was getting into.
“Brandon was really, really excited about the Navy offer, but I wanted to make sure he made an educated decision because you have to stick with it,” Brown said. “Brandon did the necessary homework and made the choice all by himself and I was really proud of him.”
Chatman spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Naval Academy Prep School, then did not see any varsity action as a plebe. During those two years in Newport and Annapolis, Chatman watched as several longtime friends and high school teammates went down the wrong path. One friend died in a car crash while Chatman was going through indoctrination at the prep school and another was shot.
Those incidents, along with learning about friends that had run-ins with the law, only increased Chatman’s determination to earn a Naval Academy degree.
“My mom always told me to be very careful about who you hang around and to not get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time because it can change your life in an instant,” he said. “I’m very fortunate that I get to play the sport I love at a great university and ultimately have a bigger purpose by serving my country. I’m not going to do anything to mess that up.”
Chatman became a member of the slotback rotation as a sophomore and enjoyed a strong season, leading Navy with 19 receptions for 254 yards. He averaged an impressive 13.4 yards per catch and also added 165 rushing yards, but was determined to make more of an impact as a junior.
“Last season, I got more and more comfortable with the speed of college football,” Chatman said. “This is going to be my breakout year. I’m starting to make plays and I just want to keep it rolling.”
That commitment to improvement started in the offseason when Chatman gained 10 pounds of muscle through a focus on proper diet and hard work in the weight room. He is now listed at 5-foot-9 and 167 pounds.
“Nobody works harder than me. If we’re doing 10 reps on the bench press, I’m doing 11 because I want it more than the person next to me,” he said.
Chatman has certainly been a major contributor through six games and is Navy’s second-leading receiver behind Heidenreich with nine catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
“Brandon is an absolute dog,” Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic said. “That kid throws his body around with reckless abandon. He competes and goes after people and doesn’t back down from anything.”
David Cole took over as Navy slotbacks coach during the offseason and immediately changed the position name to snipes. It did not take long for Cole to recognize Chatman was the complete package in terms of the skills he’s looking for at that position and to realize the youngster played way bigger than his body.
“Chat is extremely tough and has a lot of heart. He’s super-competitive, a really smart football player and loves the game. All those intangibles, to go along with tremendous grit, make up for his lack of size,” Cole said. “Brandon wants to be an elite player and that’s what fuels him. It’s not a chip, but a boulder that’s on his shoulder.”
Cole also praised the blocking ability of Chatman and cited one particular play against Memphis. He gave the snipe a A-plus for executing a perfect block against 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker Matt Hudson.
“When we run 13 Falcon, that is a culture play for us and Chat has to line up next to the tackle and go against five techniques. Those guys are pretty big, but he got on the hip of No. 49 and kicked his tail.”
When Cole initially got hired, he sat down for a long conversation with all the players in his position group. Cole learned about the tough upbringing Chatman experienced and believes that has shaped his character.
“I know about Brandon’s background and I think that’s part of why he is who he is. He uses it as motivation. He always says, ‘I’ve been through way tougher than this coach.’ We call Brandon the ‘Teflon Don’ because you can throw anything at him and it just bounces off,” Cole said.
Heidenreich agrees, saying Chatman’s “had a tough past, but I think that’s just hardened him and made him a tougher, more resilient person and that shows up on the football field.”
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