Second-string quarterback Ben Chappell brings hometown flavor to the Hoosiers

Junior linebacker Will Patterson remembers the first time he met IU quarterback Ben Chappell.

The two were teammates at the annual Indiana Football Coaches Association All-Star game two summers ago. Patterson was representing Indianapolis’s Lawrence North, while Chappell was representing Bloomington South. As starting quarterback for the South squad, Chappell put on a show in completing nine passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns leading the South all-stars to a 28-10 victory over the North all-stars. Chappell received the MVP award that day for his exceptional play.

“Ben was the dominant figure on the field,” recalls Patterson.

However, what impressed Patterson most was Chappell’s passion, work ethic, dedication and leadership skills. Patterson says that these characteristics are why Chappell is well prepared to be a quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers.

When Kellen Lewis was suspended indefinitely in March, the sophomore quarterback found himself at the top of the Hoosiers depth chart during the spring practice season. Despite facing the pressure of playing in front of a hometown crowd and some controversy surrounding the starting-quarterback situation, Chappell is not fazed.

“I want to continue the success of last year, and keep the program rolling,” Chappell says.

Chappell was born in Saint Louis, and his family moved to Bloomington when he was a small child. Growing up in Southern Indiana, Chappell said that basketball was his favorite sport before he discovered football in the fourth grade.

Chappell was a three-year starter at quarterback for Bloomington South under the tutelage of Coach Drew Wood. Wood says that Chappell is a “very accurate passer”, who plays smart and knows “when to keep it and when to get rid of it.”

According to Chappell, he likes to model his game after Brett Favre, and sees himself as that gunslinger-type of quarterback. Chappell threw for 2,359 yards his senior year and 27 touchdown passes, earning him numerous all-state awards.

Wood also praises Chappell’s behavior off the field.

“He is the kind of guy you want your daughter to marry,” says Wood. “He does the right thing when you are looking and even when you are not.”

Purdue, Harvard, Illinois and Michigan recruited Chappell, but IU was the obvious choice for him. The benefits of playing in front of his friends and family every Saturday was “too hard to pass up.” He cites his parents as being his biggest fans and supporters.

During the recruiting process Chappell appreciated the hard work of the coaching staff and the direction of the program.

“I loved Coach Hep and what he was doing here,” says Chappell.

By redshirting his first season on campus, Chappell learned the college game from his peers and coaches while refining his skills. He credits IU coach Bill Lynch and quarterbacks coach Matt Canada with his development and improvement and former IU quarterback Graeme McFarland for teaching him the ropes of the program.

Chappell sets his goals for the season on becoming a “stronger, faster and better overall quarterback” rather than specific statistics or numbers. To him the most important thing is to take every game, practice and snap “one at a time.”

Chappell’s passion and dedication is what drives him as he prepares for the upcoming season, which kicks off August 30 versus Western Kentucky.