‘Little Richie’ has grown up

By Aaron Coe

Herald Writer

MILL CREEK — Before Craig Chambers was 10 years old, he was living his brother’s dream.

He watched Richie Chambers, a former Lake Stevens High School and University of Washington football star, run out of the Husky Stadium tunnel to a field surrounded by 72,000 fans.

He was little, but there was no bigger fan.

Times have changed since then. The kid UW players and coaches called "Little Richie" isn’t so little now, though he’s barely 16 years old.

Craig Chambers is a 6-foot-4 1/2 inch wide receiver for the Jackson High School football team with Husky dreams of his own. "Little Richie" is a couple of inches taller and a perhaps a little faster than his older brother, who was a state champion hurdler at Lake Stevens.

And because their father was not around much, Richie Chambers plays the role of father to his younger brother. As an assistant coach at Jackson, he completes the package of brother, father, hero, friend and coach.

"My brother has always been my role model in life," said Craig Chambers, who was in the state 100-meter final as a sophomore in the spring. "Everything I’ve done — it’s been trying to step in his footsteps. I’ve never seen a guy do as many right things in life as he has.

"He’s better than any father anybody could have."

Richie Chambers, a 29-year-old father of four, has made the transition from hero to fan. He watches his brother every day on the football field. He sees the unusual combination of size and speed that will undoubtedly make his sibling the desire of college coaches.

"I’m definitely his biggest fan," said Richie Chambers, who was a starting linebacker for the Huskies in 1993 and ‘94. "He has infinite potential."

Then the father side kicks in.

"We’ve got to get him in the weight room."

The junior receiver is already drawing comparisons to UW freshman receiver Reggie Williams, who had an impressive debut against Michigan two weeks ago. Williams was perhaps the most highly recruited receiver in the nation after an impressive career at Lakes High School in Tacoma. Chambers already is a bit taller than Williams. At 190 pounds, he is a couple of years in the weight room away from pumping up to Williams’ 215. His seventh-place finish in the 100 was .78 seconds slower than Williams’ championship run at the state meet, but Williams did not even make the final as a sophomore.

"He’s a kid with a load of talent," Jackson coach Joel Vincent said. "Any time you get a kid that’s 6-foot-5 and is a state sprinter in the 100, 200 and the relay, that’s a pretty nice combination to have. He reminds me of (Williams). His talent is unlimited."

While growing up, the younger Chambers wanted to do everything his brother had done. Although he seems destined for equal stardom, the route may be a little different.

Richie Chambers is still a legend at Lake Stevens. His hurdles records were just recently broken by 2001 graduate Ryan McKinney. He was a state champion wrestler at 190 pounds as a senior in 1990 after rushing for 1,100 yards in the fall, despite missing two games that year. He won both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the state meet in the spring.

Craig Chambers wanted to be a running back, but when he was 6 feet, 3 inches as a freshman, coaches moved him to receiver where height is more of an advantage. He tried to wrestle when he was younger, but says he "got pinned in my first match and he hurt me real bad," so he switched to basketball. He was one of the better shooting guards in the league last season. He tried the hurdles, but lacks some flexibility in his legs, which hinders a natural stride over the hurdles. But why even bother with the hurdles when you were the only sophomore in the state 100 final?

Chambers is hoping his natural talent and a couple more years of hard work will help him achieve his dream of following his brother’s footsteps to the UW. He sees his brother’s rings — Richie Chambers was a special teams player on the Huskies’ 1991 national championship team — and would like to earn some of his own.

Many kids are secretive about where they want to play college ball.

Not Chambers.

He wants to be a Husky.

"I’ve always pictured myself running out of that tunnel wearing purple and gold," he said. "If they offered me a scholarship, I don’t care who else offered me one. They won my heart when I was a little kid."

Though he has his dreams, he understands reality. If the Huskies look elsewhere for a receiver, he’ll gladly accept a scholarship to another school.

"I don’t care if it’s for football, basketball or track," Chambers said. "I don’t want my mom to have to worry about paying for college."

Along with the rigors of being a three-sport athlete, Chambers says he is working on being a better student. Some freshman struggles put him a little behind, but his mother, brother, close friend Annika Sage and UW dreams have helped him turn things around.

For Craig Chambers the best part about playing football is being with his brother every day. When he won the game for Jackson last week with a touchdown on a 72-yard catch and run in the final seconds, it was perhaps the greatest moment of his playing career.

But what happened next made the play even more rewarding.

"After the play, he was the first one waiting to give me a hug," Craig Chambers said of his brother. "It’s cool having my brother be a coach, because he’s always there every time."