Antonio Chatman
Encyclopedia
Antonio Tavaras Chatman (born February 12, 1979 in Jackson, Alabama
) is an American football
wide receiver
and punt returner
for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
at Cincinnati
.
Chatman has also played for the Chicago Rush
, Green Bay Packers
and Cincinnati Bengals
.
where he was a Criminology
major.
of the NFL
but was soon released.
of the AFL in 2002. After two weeks on the bench behind offensive specialist Joe Douglass
, a freak season-ending injury to Douglass during pre-game warmups pushed Chatman into the starting job in Week 3, and he responded with a strong rookie
season, leading the Rush in receiving with 74 catches for 1,068 yards and 23 touchdowns, and earning AFL All-Rookie Team honors in the process. He followed that campaign with an even better season in 2003, catching 123 passes for 1,636 yards and 29 touchdowns, and added 2,062 yards and 7 touchdowns on kick returns to set an AFL record for all-purpose yardage. Chatman was named to the All-Arena Second Team and was a runner-up for the league's Offensive Player of the Year award.
, and he signed with that team for the 2003 season
.
Upon joining the Green Bay Packers
, Chatman was largely relegated to a kick returning
role, seeing only sparing action as a wide receiver his first season. In 2004, he gradually saw an increased role in the offense at receiver, before finally seeing extensive action as a starter
in 2005 due to injuries to Javon Walker
and Robert Ferguson
. In his second to last game with the Packers, Chatman returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. It was the first punt returned for touchdown for the Packers since Allen Rossum
did it in 2001.
prior to the 2006 NFL Season
. However in 2006 he missed several of the Bengals early games due to injury, and eventually was put on injured reserve
.
On September 7, 2007 the Bengals cut him but re-signed him a few days later for the 2007 season. On February 26, 2008, the Bengals reached a new two year agreement with Chatman. On November 16, 2008, Chatman suffered a cervical injury in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chatman was released on November 17, 2009, with an injury settlement after being placed on injured reserve
earlier in the year.
by the Sacramento Mountain Lions on June 4, 2010 where he will be re-united with former Cincinnati Bengals
teammate Chris Perry and Doug Gabriel
.
Jackson, Alabama
Jackson is a city in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. The population was 5,228 at the 2010 census. It is one of three wet settlements in an otherwise-dry county.-Geography:Jackson is located at coordinates . According to the U.S...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
.
Chatman has also played for the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
College career
Chatman attended the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
where he was a Criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
major.
San Francisco 49ers
Chatman signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
but was soon released.
Chicago Rush
He then joined the Chicago RushChicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
of the AFL in 2002. After two weeks on the bench behind offensive specialist Joe Douglass
Joe Douglass
Joe Douglass is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. He most recently played for the Las Vegas Gladiators in the Arena Football League.-External links:**...
, a freak season-ending injury to Douglass during pre-game warmups pushed Chatman into the starting job in Week 3, and he responded with a strong rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season, leading the Rush in receiving with 74 catches for 1,068 yards and 23 touchdowns, and earning AFL All-Rookie Team honors in the process. He followed that campaign with an even better season in 2003, catching 123 passes for 1,636 yards and 29 touchdowns, and added 2,062 yards and 7 touchdowns on kick returns to set an AFL record for all-purpose yardage. Chatman was named to the All-Arena Second Team and was a runner-up for the league's Offensive Player of the Year award.
Green Bay Packers
His success in Chicago attracted the attention of the NFL's Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, and he signed with that team for the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
.
Upon joining the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Chatman was largely relegated to a kick returning
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
role, seeing only sparing action as a wide receiver his first season. In 2004, he gradually saw an increased role in the offense at receiver, before finally seeing extensive action as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in 2005 due to injuries to Javon Walker
Javon Walker
Javon Lataff Walker is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
and Robert Ferguson
Robert Ferguson (football player)
Robert Charles Ferguson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. In his second to last game with the Packers, Chatman returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. It was the first punt returned for touchdown for the Packers since Allen Rossum
Allen Rossum
Allen Bonshaca Lamont Rossum is an American football cornerback and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
did it in 2001.
Cincinnati Bengals
Chatman signed with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
prior to the 2006 NFL Season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
. However in 2006 he missed several of the Bengals early games due to injury, and eventually was put on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
On September 7, 2007 the Bengals cut him but re-signed him a few days later for the 2007 season. On February 26, 2008, the Bengals reached a new two year agreement with Chatman. On November 16, 2008, Chatman suffered a cervical injury in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chatman was released on November 17, 2009, with an injury settlement after being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
earlier in the year.
Sacramento Mountain Lions
Chatman was selected with the third pick of the sixth round and 28th selection overall in the 2010 UFL Draft2010 UFL Draft
The 2010 UFL Draft was the second draft of the United Football League. The draft took place on Wednesday, June 2, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. The draft was held over a period of 12 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams was allowed one pick per round, in reverse order of 2009 finish, with the...
by the Sacramento Mountain Lions on June 4, 2010 where he will be re-united with former Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
teammate Chris Perry and Doug Gabriel
Doug Gabriel
Douglas Gabriel is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Orlando Predators an Arena Football League team in Orlando Florida. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.