With one season of college football left, Mason Harris and Chaz Cheeks wanted to make sure they were going to have as much fun as they could.
Harris, at South Carolina, and Cheeks, at Georgia Tech, knew that this season likely would be like the previous: a few plays here and there, but no chance to start. They needed a change of scenery if they wanted to rekindle their love of the game in their senior seasons.
Both decided on something a little different and as far removed from the history and tradition at Columbia, S.C., and Atlanta as possible: Kennesaw State, which is embarking on its inaugural season.
Both can feel the embers warming.
“I’m hoping to get my confidence back and win some games,” said Harris, who played at Ridgeland High School. “I know I have the passion inside of me.”
Cheeks said football was always fun, but there were points recently when he began to wonder if it was time to start preparing to enter the workforce with his business administration degree from Tech.
He wasn’t quite ready for that.
“If I had one more year, I was going to play it,” said Cheeks, who played at East Hall High School.
Even though it’s camp, both are having a ball at Kennesaw State. Because Harris arrived in time for summer workouts, he has already risen up the depth chart and should start at defensive end. Cheeks, who recently joined the team, is expected by coach Brian Bohannon to move up the depth chart at rush end before the season-opening game at East Tennessee on Sept. 3.
Adding FBS talent to a young FCS roster wasn’t a talent grab by Bohannon in an attempt to upgrade two positions that needed impact players.
While he acknowledged it’s nice to have both purely for their potential production, Bohannon wanted to make sure that each player understood the culture he’s trying to establish and whether they would be comfortable with their roles as leaders.
Harris leads by example. Cheeks is more vocal. Both are doing what Bohannon wants to see.
“The guys come in with some natural credibility,” Bohannon said. “These kids come from winning programs in power-five conferences. It gives them credibility, which helps them lead, and has an impact on younger kids.”
They said they are constantly questioned by Kennesaw State’s players, many of whom are redshirt freshmen.
They ask the questions many would assume of players who have a natural curiosity about how things are done at the highest levels of college football. What are the practices like? How’s the talent level compare?
“That’s one thing I told myself, I wasn’t going to come here and have an attitude,” Harris said. “I made sure I’m no different than anybody else.”
Yes, the workouts are similar. Because of Bohannon’s background as an assistant at Tech, Cheeks said Kennesaw State’s practices are almost carbon copies of what’s done a few miles down Interstate 75.
Harris thought he might come in to have a little fun at first. Going against 6-foot-6, 300-pound tackle John Theus at Georgia is a slightly different experience than facing 6-3, 270-pound C.J. Collins, who is in the mix at tackle for Kennesaw State.
He quickly learned differently.
“Honestly, they are tough,” Harris said. “They come off the ball harder than I expected. Tougher than I was prepared for. They’ve been doing really well against me. I’m trying to make myself better and trying to make them better.”
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