Hatboro-Horsham graduate Chapman leading way for Delaware Valley defense

DOYLESTOWN — Delaware Valley University's "old-school type of linebacker" is helping the Aggies continue to win, which is nothing new.

"Old school" is DelVal defensive coordinator Nick Brady's assessment of inside 'backer Nick Chapman, a 2018 Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate.

"He's a physical player that likes to play downhill and enjoys punishing offensive linemen and running backs," Brady said.

Growing up, Chapman liked a pretty popular collegiate player and essentially molded his style of play after him.

"When I was young, one of my friend's parents called me (former Oklahoma star linebacker Brian) Bosworth," Chapman said. "That's one of my favorite players and why I wear 44. … Every single play I'm going to give it my all, so that's really how I play the game. When you fly around, good things happen. And I just love being physical."

The 6-foot, 235-pound Chapman leads 9-1 DelVal in tackles for the second year in a row. He has 82, including 13.5 for loss with three sacks. He registered a career-high 15 tackles in an Oct. 14 win over FDU-Florham (three for loss with two sacks).

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The 25th-ranked Aggies host 9-1 Union College in an NCAA Division III first-round playoff game Saturday at noon.

As a junior for NCAA quarterfinalist DelVal, Chapman had 77 tackles (10 for loss). He finished with a season-high 11 stops (three for loss) in the home playoff loss to Mount Union.

"His toughness is undeniable," said Delaware Valley head coach Duke Greco. "He's extremely intelligent. He picks up things really quick, is able to recognize what teams are doing and execute."

Chapman once told a receiver not to come into the middle of the field. When the receiver asked what zone Chapman was referring to, Chapman replied, "Sideline to sideline."

"Luckily, he's here, because I wouldn't want to play against him," Greco said.

Chapman graduated from West Chester University in 2022 with a degree in the pre-Physician Assistant program.

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He had two years of football eligibility remaining since he redshirted in 2018, then recorded 28 tackles in 20 games over the 2019 and '21 seasons. The 2020 season was wiped out by COVID-19.

Chapman didn't want to regret not playing any more later in life, so he ended up at DelVal, where he's pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA), as well as flattening running backs.

"I always want more," Chapman said about tackles. "It's never the ones that I did make — it's always the ones that I didn't that haunt me."

Chapman attributes much of his competitive nature to being the middle brother with fellow football players/wrestlers Matt (two years older) and Patrick (two years younger).

"I don't want to lose at any time, let alone versus my brother," he said. "We'd be fighting over food and who'd get to the door first."

"His passion to win is second to none," Brady said.

A standout wrestler at Hatboro-Horsham, where he won 107 matches and was a two-time state qualifier and earned a regional championship at heavyweight as a junior, Chapman sees some similarities between the two sports. The main one is that each has a 1-on-1 element that affects how the team does.

"There's 11 people on the field (in football), but one person you have to defeat and make the block or get off of that (block) to make the play," he said.

Chapman closed out his high school football career with a bang, earning defensive player of the game honors for his dominant performance, which featured recovering a fumble and forcing a fumble, in the Hatters' 34-0 Thanksgiving Day victory over rival Upper Moreland in 2017.

He'd love to complete his college football career at the Dec. 15 NCAA championship game in Salem, Virginia, though he and the six-time defending Middle Atlantic Conference champion Aggies aren't thinking beyond Saturday's home meeting with Union.

"I would definitely say we're optimistic and we're eager to get the playoffs going," Chapman said. "We have to look at each team and just do our part."

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Nick Chapman leading way for Delaware Valley University defense