Gil Chapman
Encyclopedia
Gil Chapman is a former American football
player, politician and businessman.
Chapman became one of the leading scorers in the history of New Jersey high school football while playing for Thomas Jefferson High School from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he was picked by Parade
magazine as the "Number 1 Player in America." He has also been selected as one of New Jersey's top ten offensive football players of the 20th Century.
From 1972 to 1974, he played college football
for the University of Michigan
under head coach Bo Schembechler
. During his three years at Michigan, he scored 18 touchdowns and gained over 2,500 total yards, including 1,090 return yards, 919 rushing yards and 517 rushing yards. At the conclusion of his career, he held Michigan's all-time records for career kickoff return yardage (640) and single-game kickoff return yardage (125 against Illinois in 1972).
Chapman played professional football for the New Orleans Saints
during the 1975 NFL season
. As a rookie, he ranked fifth in the NFL with 12.2 yards per punt return and tenth with 804 total return yards.
After retiring from football, Chapman served from 1978 to 1983 on the City Council in Elizabeth, New Jersey
, the first African-American to hold any elected office in the city. He worked in management and sales for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
from 1979 to 1984, including several years as the operations manager of Giants Stadium
. From 1986 to 2009, he owned and operated a Ford Motor Company
dealership on Staten Island, New York.
, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1971. Chapman was one of the most highly-rated high school running backs during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. As a junior in 1969, he was the leading scorer in the State of New Jersey with 179 points. In November 1969, he ran for four touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in a single game. As a senior in October 1970, he scored five touchdowns in another game, increasing his career scoring total to 462 points.
The New York Times
once joked that "Gil Chapman, New Jersey's leading scorer, had an 'off' day with only two touchdowns and 6 extra points."
During his high school career, Chapman totaled 514 career points and rushed for 3,200 yards in his junior and senior years. In 1970, Parade
magazine selected Chapman as the "Number 1 Player in America."
in 1971 on a football scholarship. He played as a running back and return specialist for Bo Schembechler
's Michigan Wolverines football
teams from 1972 to 1974.
that finished the season 10-1 and ranked No. 6 in the final AP and UPI polls. He also handled punt and kickoff returns for the 1972 team, returning 20 punts for 180 yards and 8 kickoffs for 276 yards.
In the third game of the 1972 season against Tulane, Chapman scored his first touchdown for Michigan on a 49-yard punt return up the middle of the field.
On October 14, 1972, Chapman had his career-long run from scrimmage against Michigan State
. With nine minutes left in the game, Michigan led, 3-0. Playing in front of the second largest crowd in Michigan Stadium
history to that time, Chapman took the ball on a reverse and raced 58 yards down the left side for Michigan's only touchdown.
Against Illinois
in late October 1972, Chapman also set a school record with 125 yards on two kickoff returns, including a 73-yard return for a touchdown.
Chapman finished the 1972 season with 149 rushing yards and a team-high 5.7 yards per carry. He also had 125 receiving yards and 456 return yards in 1972.
for Michigan's undefeated 1973 team
that finished with a 10-0-1 record and ranked No. 6 in the final AP and UPI polls.
In October 1973, Chapman tied Michigan's all-time record with an 83-yard punt return against Oregon
.
One week after his 83-yard return against Oregon, Chapman rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 20 carries against Michigan State. The highlight of the game was Chapman's 53-yard end run for a touchdown.
For the second straight year, Chapman led the Wolverines in return yards. He totaled 133 yards on 6 kickoffs and 179 yards on 13 punts. Chapman was also the third leading rusher for the 1972 team with 542 yards and 6 touchdowns on 111 carries. Although fullback Ed Shuttlesworth
was the rushing leader with 745 yards on 193 carries, Chapman's average of 4.9 yards per carry was a yard higher than Shuttlesworth's average of 3.9 yards per carry.
that finished 10-1 and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll. Chapman's move to fullback made room for Gordon Bell
(1,048 rushing yards in 1974) and Rob Lytle
(802 rushing yards in 1974) to take over at the tailback position.
Chapman scored two rushing touchdowns for the only time in his career in a 49-0 win over Minnesota
on October 26, 1974.
Chapman's final game for Michigan was a 12-10 loss to Ohio State
at the end of the 1974 season. In the first quarter, Chapman set up Michigan's first score with a 42-yard reception from Dennis Franklin
that led to a 37-yard field goal by Mike Lantry
. Chapman also ran for a touchdown in the first quarter to give Michigan a 10-0 lead. Ohio State responded with four field goals, and a last-minute field goal attempt by Michigan's Mike Lantry went wide.
During the 1974 season, Chapman was Michigan's leader in return yards for the third straight year, accumulating 322 return yards on 12 kickoffs and 12 punts. He was also the team's leading pass receiver with 23 catches. His total of 378 receiving yards ranked second on the team behind Jim Smith's 392 yards. Chapman also had 228 rushing yards on 41 attempts for an average of 5.6 yards per carry.
At the conclusion of his playing career at Michigan, Chapman held Michigan's all-time records for career kickoff return yardage (640) and single-game kickoff return yardage (125 against Illinois in 1972). His career record was broken in 1981 by Anthony Carter, and his single-game record was broken in 1990 by Desmond Howard
.
in the 7th round (166th overall pick) of the 1975 NFL Draft
. He played as a punt and kickoff return specialist for the Saints during the 1975 NFL season
. He returned 17 punts for 207 yards and 28 kickoffs for 614 yards. His average of 12.2 yards per punt return ranked fifth in the NFL during the 1975 season. His total of 804 return yards ranked 10th in the NFL.
Chapman sustained a knee injury in late November 1975 and was placed on the inured reserve list in December. He was released by the Saints in July 1976.
From 1979 to 1985, Chapman worked in management and sales for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
, the organization responsible for Giants Stadium
, Continental Airlines Arena
and Meadowlands Racetrack
. He was the operations manager for Giants Stadium from 1981 to 1984.
In 1986, Chapman became an owner and president of Island Ford, Inc., a Ford Motor Company
automobile dealership located on Staten Island
, New York
. Chapman retired from the dealership in 2009.
Chapman also served on the board of directors of Northfield Bancorp from at least 2006 to 2009.
In 1999, The Star-Ledger
selected him as one of New Jersey's 10 best offensive players of the 20th Century.
In 2008, Chapman became one of the inaugural inductees into the City of Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame. At that time, Chapman was residing in Westfield, New Jersey
with his wife Idalene and their two children.
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...
player, politician and businessman.
Chapman became one of the leading scorers in the history of New Jersey high school football while playing for Thomas Jefferson High School from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he was picked by Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
magazine as the "Number 1 Player in America." He has also been selected as one of New Jersey's top ten offensive football players of the 20th Century.
From 1972 to 1974, 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...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
under head coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
. During his three years at Michigan, he scored 18 touchdowns and gained over 2,500 total yards, including 1,090 return yards, 919 rushing yards and 517 rushing yards. At the conclusion of his career, he held Michigan's all-time records for career kickoff return yardage (640) and single-game kickoff return yardage (125 against Illinois in 1972).
Chapman played professional football for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
during the 1975 NFL season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
. As a rookie, he ranked fifth in the NFL with 12.2 yards per punt return and tenth with 804 total return yards.
After retiring from football, Chapman served from 1978 to 1983 on the City Council in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, the first African-American to hold any elected office in the city. He worked in management and sales for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Originally consisting of Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, Brendan Byrne Arena was added to the complex in...
from 1979 to 1984, including several years as the operations manager of Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
. From 1986 to 2009, he owned and operated a Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
dealership on Staten Island, New York.
Early years
Chapman was born in Elizabeth, New JerseyElizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1971. Chapman was one of the most highly-rated high school running backs during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. As a junior in 1969, he was the leading scorer in the State of New Jersey with 179 points. In November 1969, he ran for four touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in a single game. As a senior in October 1970, he scored five touchdowns in another game, increasing his career scoring total to 462 points.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
once joked that "Gil Chapman, New Jersey's leading scorer, had an 'off' day with only two touchdowns and 6 extra points."
During his high school career, Chapman totaled 514 career points and rushed for 3,200 yards in his junior and senior years. In 1970, Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
magazine selected Chapman as the "Number 1 Player in America."
University of Michigan
Chapman enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1971 on a football scholarship. He played as a running back and return specialist for Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
teams from 1972 to 1974.
1972 season
As a sophomore, Chapman played at the split end position, starting five games, for the 1972 team1972 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1972 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1972 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
that finished the season 10-1 and ranked No. 6 in the final AP and UPI polls. He also handled punt and kickoff returns for the 1972 team, returning 20 punts for 180 yards and 8 kickoffs for 276 yards.
In the third game of the 1972 season against Tulane, Chapman scored his first touchdown for Michigan on a 49-yard punt return up the middle of the field.
On October 14, 1972, Chapman had his career-long run from scrimmage against Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
. With nine minutes left in the game, Michigan led, 3-0. Playing in front of the second largest crowd in Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
history to that time, Chapman took the ball on a reverse and raced 58 yards down the left side for Michigan's only touchdown.
Against Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in late October 1972, Chapman also set a school record with 125 yards on two kickoff returns, including a 73-yard return for a touchdown.
Chapman finished the 1972 season with 149 rushing yards and a team-high 5.7 yards per carry. He also had 125 receiving yards and 456 return yards in 1972.
1973 season
As a junior, Chapman handled punt and kickoff returns and played tailbackTailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
for Michigan's undefeated 1973 team
1973 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1973 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
that finished with a 10-0-1 record and ranked No. 6 in the final AP and UPI polls.
In October 1973, Chapman tied Michigan's all-time record with an 83-yard punt return against Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
.
One week after his 83-yard return against Oregon, Chapman rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 20 carries against Michigan State. The highlight of the game was Chapman's 53-yard end run for a touchdown.
For the second straight year, Chapman led the Wolverines in return yards. He totaled 133 yards on 6 kickoffs and 179 yards on 13 punts. Chapman was also the third leading rusher for the 1972 team with 542 yards and 6 touchdowns on 111 carries. Although fullback Ed Shuttlesworth
Ed Shuttlesworth
Ed Shuttlesworth is a former American football fullback.He played for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973. He was the leading rusher for Michigan's 1972 and 1973 teams that compiled a combined record of 30–1–1...
was the rushing leader with 745 yards on 193 carries, Chapman's average of 4.9 yards per carry was a yard higher than Shuttlesworth's average of 3.9 yards per carry.
1974 season
As a senior, Chapman again handled punt and kickoff returns and started all 11 games at fullback for the 1974 team1974 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1974 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1974 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
that finished 10-1 and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll. Chapman's move to fullback made room for Gordon Bell
Gordon Bell (American football)
Gordon Granville Bell is a former American football running back, kickoff returner and punt returner who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1973–1975, and professionally for the New York Giants and St...
(1,048 rushing yards in 1974) and Rob Lytle
Rob Lytle
Rob Lytle was an American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of NFL. He attended the University of Michigan . Lytle was drafted in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft by Denver with the 45th overall pick.Lytle was born in Fremont, Ohio...
(802 rushing yards in 1974) to take over at the tailback position.
Chapman scored two rushing touchdowns for the only time in his career in a 49-0 win over Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
on October 26, 1974.
Chapman's final game for Michigan was a 12-10 loss to Ohio State
1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1974-1975. The Buckeyes compiled a 10–2 record, including the 1975 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where they lost 18–17 to the Southern California...
at the end of the 1974 season. In the first quarter, Chapman set up Michigan's first score with a 42-yard reception from Dennis Franklin
Dennis Franklin
Dennis Franklin is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League in the 1975 NFL Draft. Prior to playing for in the NFL he played quarterback of the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1971-1974. He served as the...
that led to a 37-yard field goal by Mike Lantry
Mike Lantry
Mike Lantry is a former All-American football player. He was a left-footed place-kicker who played for Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan from 1972 through 1974. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1973 and set Michigan records for the longest field goal, most field goals,...
. Chapman also ran for a touchdown in the first quarter to give Michigan a 10-0 lead. Ohio State responded with four field goals, and a last-minute field goal attempt by Michigan's Mike Lantry went wide.
During the 1974 season, Chapman was Michigan's leader in return yards for the third straight year, accumulating 322 return yards on 12 kickoffs and 12 punts. He was also the team's leading pass receiver with 23 catches. His total of 378 receiving yards ranked second on the team behind Jim Smith's 392 yards. Chapman also had 228 rushing yards on 41 attempts for an average of 5.6 yards per carry.
Career statistics
During his three years playing for Michigan, Chapman scored 18 touchdowns and gained over 2,500 yards for the Wolverines. He accumulated 1,090 return yards (640 on 26 kickoffs and 450 on 45 punts), 919 rushing yards and on 178 carries for an average of 5.2 yards per carry, and 517 receiving yards.At the conclusion of his playing career at Michigan, Chapman held Michigan's all-time records for career kickoff return yardage (640) and single-game kickoff return yardage (125 against Illinois in 1972). His career record was broken in 1981 by Anthony Carter, and his single-game record was broken in 1990 by Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
.
New Orleans Saints
Chapman was drafted by the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in the 7th round (166th overall pick) of the 1975 NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. He played as a punt and kickoff return specialist for the Saints during the 1975 NFL season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
. He returned 17 punts for 207 yards and 28 kickoffs for 614 yards. His average of 12.2 yards per punt return ranked fifth in the NFL during the 1975 season. His total of 804 return yards ranked 10th in the NFL.
Chapman sustained a knee injury in late November 1975 and was placed on the inured reserve list in December. He was released by the Saints in July 1976.
Later years and honors
After retiring from football, Chapman returned to New Jersey. In 1978, he was elected to the City of Elizabeth City Council, becoming the first African-American to hold any elected position in the city. He served on the City Council through 1983.From 1979 to 1985, Chapman worked in management and sales for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Originally consisting of Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, Brendan Byrne Arena was added to the complex in...
, the organization responsible for Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
, Continental Airlines Arena
Continental Airlines Arena
Izod Center is a multi-purpose arena, in the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It opened in 1981 and currently has a maximum seating capacity of 20,000...
and Meadowlands Racetrack
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
. He was the operations manager for Giants Stadium from 1981 to 1984.
In 1986, Chapman became an owner and president of Island Ford, Inc., a Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
automobile dealership located on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Chapman retired from the dealership in 2009.
Chapman also served on the board of directors of Northfield Bancorp from at least 2006 to 2009.
In 1999, The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
selected him as one of New Jersey's 10 best offensive players of the 20th Century.
In 2008, Chapman became one of the inaugural inductees into the City of Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame. At that time, Chapman was residing in Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield is a town in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 30,316. The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 1720 as part of the Elizabethtown Tract....
with his wife Idalene and their two children.