While I’ve got quarterbacks on the brain because of our “Year of the Quarterbacks” series, I wanted to take a detour and elaborate more on a conversation I had with Chase Parrish, senior QB for the Colquitt County Packers.

Chase Parrish will graduate this year and enroll at the Naval Academy in the fall. He’s committed to play football there, but will spend his first year in Newport, Rhode Island at the Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) his freshman year.

“Obviously going to play for the Naval Academy is something that not many people get to do,” Chase says.

That’s one way to put it. I think he’s being modest.

Not to mention that in addition to playing football at one of the most respected and prestigious programs in the country, he’ll also serve 5 years for the US Navy once his 5 years of academics and football are completed.

It takes a very skilled quarterback to fit into Navy’s system and even though the Packers don’t run the triple option, Navy must’ve seen enough in Chase Parrish.

“I’ve always been a spread guy, that’s what I’ve grown up knowing,” Parrish says. “I was really surprised they showed interest at first, but they had seen enough of my running and felt like I could do the job.”

Navy offered him to sign on January 20, which also happened to be the same day as his mom’s birthday.

Awwwww.

Speaking of mom (and dad), “they fell in love with it [Navy] just as much as I did. They’re super pumped,” he continued.

Not only is Chase going to continue his dreams of playing football at the next level, but he’ll also graduate as an officer in the Navy.

The competition on the field is going to be tough though, especially at the quarterback position.

“They have 7 quarterbacks on their roster. The coaches are fair, they will give me a good chance, but I’ll have to earn my position,” he says.

Chase Parrish is a tough kid and competition doesn’t scare him.

Here’s something I learned about him that you may or may not know…

I think we can all agree that the State Championship game was a “big moment,” am I right?

Right.

During that championship week, Parrish got really sick. Sick as a dog, actually.

During the week, he was trying his best to make it through practices, but couldn’t eat anything and was in and out of the hospital. The doctors noticed his gall bladder was swollen and wanted to operate on it and take it out.

“That was messing with me mentally, [I was] shedding a few tears with my family,” he said.

They decided not to operate, his gall bladder went back to normal, but he was still getting sick. Including the day of the State Championship.

He lost 10-15 pounds that week, and no one was sure if he would be able to play.

“All my teammates really patted me on the back and let me know they were going to help me win this game,” he added.

And so they did. Parrish rallied and his team rallied around him.

That’s a testament to the kind of athlete Chase is. Watching him on the field and during the celebration, hardly anyone would’ve known that he’d suffered immensely during the week. 

All of that is behind him now (thank goodness!) and he’s only focusing on the short-term goals. As much as he would love to play in the NFL one day, right now, NAPS awaits him. And if he thinks being ill during the biggest week of his high school career was tough… well, Newport will raise the bar. Or as they say in Rhode Island… raise the “bah.”

If one thing is certain, it’s that Chase Parrish has set an incredible standard as a distinguished quarterback to come out of the state of Georgia and Saunders has big shoes to fill. Parrish led his team to a perfect 30-0 record, 2 state titles and 1 national championship.

So, he’s an OK QB…. 

The Packers spring game is May 19th at Mack Tharpe Stadium. Fans are welcome to attend.