Penn Hills ATH Chaz Whittaker oozing with versatility
by Wade Perry
Posted April 25, 2011 1:12 am
FinestPreps.com has been hitting the state of Pennsylvania very hard during its first week of coverage!
Last week we released an article on Penn Hills’ (Pittsburgh, Pa.) sensational athlete Corey Jones.
This week we’ve got another member of the Penn Hills Indians football squad who is making his debut on the FinestPreps.com blog.
Who is it?
Well that would be ultra-versatile athlete Chaz Whittaker (pictured far right above).
Simply put, you would be hard pressed to find a more verstatile athlete in the Keystone State than Whittaker.
He’s oozing with a jaw-dropping amount of versatility and it shows in his eye-popping highlight tape below.
The 6’3, 180 pound athlete has been a dangerous weapon for the Penn Hills Indians over the past two seasons, scoring touchdowns from three different positions on the offensive side of the ball.
Simply put, Whittaker has the ability to find the end zone every time he gets his hands on the football and if you want proof just take a look at his stats the past couple of years.
In 2009, Whittaker was a dynamic dual-threat quarterback for the Indians, tossing two passing touchdowns and rushing for nine touchdowns.
In 2010, the big-time playmaker was moved to wide receiver–where he didn’t disappoint the Penn Hills’ coaching staff.
Blessed with great size, speed, and footwork, Whittaker demonstrated his ability to beat defenders in the open field every time the football was in his hands.
As a junior he hauled in five receiving touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns on the ground, and even had one passing touchdowns.
In 2010, Whittaker also showed his ferociousness as a hitter in the open field, averaging 8 tackles per game.
As a receiver, Whittaker is a tough, hard-nosed player who demonstrates the willigness to catch the football across the middle.
He uses his size to outmuscle corners and that allows him to be nearly unstoppable when there’s a jump ball tossed his way.
For instance on his highlights–there’s a play on his tape where the quarterback lobs a pass in his direction at the 30 yard line.
The opposing corner turns around, leaping in the air to break up the pass but he’s no match for the 6 foot 3 Whittaker.
Whittaker times his jump beautifully, tips the ball up in the air, the defender falls to the ground, and Whittaker makes the catch.
Then he turns around, turns on the burners and it’s off to the races–an untouched 65 yards to the end zone for the touchdown.
That’s just a glimpse into the rare playmaking ability that Whittaker possesses on the offensive side of the ball.
If you watch his highlight tape you’ll also see he can make plays on the defensive side of the ball as well–laying bone-crushing hits on his opponents.
As a safety last season for Penn Hills, he had five passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
Surprisingly, the talented playmaker doesn’t have any scholarship offers at this point but is drawing interest from a variety of schools.
FinestPreps.com caught up with the versatile playmaker recently to discuss his college football recruitment process.
Below is the interview.
Interview with Penn Hills ATH Chaz Whittaker
FinestPreps.com: First off Chaz talk about how the college football recruitment process is going for you.
Chaz Whittaker: “It’s going pretty good–I’ve had a lot of looks but no offers. A lot of looks from top D-I A schools.”
FinestPreps.com: Like what schools?
Chaz Whittaker: “Notre Dame, Maryland, Pitt, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Cincinnati.”
FinestPreps.com: Do you have any favorites out of all those Chaz?
Chaz Whittaker: “My favorites are probably Maryland and Cincinnati.”
FinestPreps.com: Talk to me about why you like Maryland and Cincinnati, Chaz.
Chaz Whittaker: “Both of them have showed a lot of interest. I went up to Maryland for their junior day. I like their campus. It’s a nice school up there and they really care about their athletes.”
“Cincinnati–I like them too because they’ve showed a lot of interest. I’m about to go up there soon though.”
FinestPreps.com: When are you going up to Cincinnati, Chaz?
Chaz Whittaker: “Probably in June.”
FinestPreps.com: When do you think you’ll make a decision as far as the recruiting process is concerned, Chaz?
Chaz Whittaker: “As soon as I get some offers.”
FinestPreps.com: What have colleges told you they’re recruiting you as–position wise?
Chaz Whittaker: “Most colleges say receiver. A few have said safety.”
FinestPreps.com: Do you have a preference as to which one you want to play at the next level, Chaz?
Chaz Whittaker: “No preference at all. I like both positions. I’m good at both of them so it won’t matter to me.”
FinestPreps.com: Are you on the W PA Swag team (7-on-7)?
Chaz Whittaker: “Yeah I’m on W PA Swag with coach Terry Smith and all of them.”
FinestPreps.com: Talk to me about 7-on-7 competition, Chaz. Do you like it?
Chaz Whittaker: “Yeah I like it. It’s a fun thing. It’s a fun experience. It gets you around players that are better than you. It gives you good competition.”
FinestPreps.com: Football role models Chaz–what kind of role models did you have growing up?
Chaz Whittaker: “I used to watch Dave Harvey a lot–he used to play for Penn Hills back in the day. Carlos Scott, Michael Irvin. I also looked up to Chad Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals)–and Andre Johnson (Houston Texans).”
FinestPreps.com: Chaz what do you think about Mark Ingram being selected to the new cover of NCAA Football?
Chaz Whittaker: “Oh that’s surprising. He’s a Heisman winner–he definitely should be on there. I mean it’s no big thing really. I think he should be on there.”
FinestPreps.com: Who do you want to win the cover of Madden? Mike Vick or Peyton Hillis, Chaz?
Chaz Whittaker: “The guy from the Browns.”
FinestPreps.com: You want Peyton Hillis to win it?
Chaz Whittaker: “Yeah because they said it’s a Madden cover curse.”
FinestPreps.com: So you think the curse would come back to haunt Vick again?
Chaz Whittaker: “Yeah.”
Whittaker is also a standout on the Penn Hills basketball team, averaging 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game last year as a junior.
In 2009, he earned second team all-Big East as a quarterback. In 2010, he was named honorable mention all-Big East as a wide receiver.
Keep it locked to FinestPreps.com for more on the talented athlete’s college football recruitment process!
Check out his highlight package below–courtesy of FinestPreps.com!