BearcatLair.com - Catching up with Antonio Chatman

May 21, 2009

Scott Springer
BearcatReport.com Staff Writer

He came from a junior college in California and somehow wound up on UC's campus right before the spring game 10 years ago as I recall. From there, he had two decent years despite never really receiving the accolades some of the other Bearcat receivers had.

Then, he found a way into the NFL. Suddenly, I was watching the Green Bay Packers one night and there he was...Antonio Chatman the former Bearcat receiver of just two years (1999-2000).

The reason I had lost track of him was that he signed with the 49ers out of college (as a free agent) and was waived. Then he was in the Arena League with the Chicago Rush.

Well, sorry folks, but I don't keep up with the Chicago Rush. So, for two years Chatman was playing indoors 'til the Packers took a gamble on him in June 2003. Next thing you know, the former Bearcat's returning punts and kicks at Lambeau and hauling down Bret Favre fastballs.

He's been a Bengal since 2006 now (free agent signing) and just had his most productive year back in town last year despite being injured (21 catches for 194 yards, 21 punt returns for a 7.5 average).
At 30, it's been awhile since Chatman put on the red and black.

"Yeah, it went alright," he said of his Bearcat years. "We went to a bowl game, but it could've been better. We went to the Motor City Bowl, looks like they've been going to a bowl game ever since."

Well, there were a couple misses this decade, but overall Chatman knows the program has improved since he was whisked in from the West Coast in time for Deontey Kenner to start heaving long balls his way.

"Yeah, at that point I was happy to be playing," Chatman said. "Going through the situation I was going through?I wasn't even supposed to be in Cincinnati. I was just happy to be playing."
Turns out, Chatman thought he would go from El Camino College to UCLA. I told him he had part of it right (the UC, just no "LA").

"Yeah...big shocker!" Chatman said laughing. But, he added quickly, "I'm never ashamed of where I came from?I don't have any problems with it?I tell anyone that I played for UC."

And, play he did. Chatman started 16 games in two years. After pulling down 22 passes in 1999, he finished out with 46 receptions for 609 yards in his final year of 2000.

His first year was a bit of a rush and a culture shock.

"I got to camp late, so I had to learn the offense a little faster than I wanted to," Chatman said. "I wasn't there in camp, so it took them a while to start playing me. All they were using me for at first was all deep balls."

Chatman remembers that first season of '99 well, including the "scare" they put into Ohio State, Deontey Kenner's 407-yard game at Southern Miss, and the upset of #9 Wisconsin 17-12.

"Yeah, the big hype of Ron Dayne," Chatman recalled.

That '99 team was only 3-8, but played a lot of close games. Unfortunately, the close games didn't go UC's way and then QB Deontey Kenner was injured for the last three contests.

"When I (finally) got everything going, Jimbo Fisher was the offensive coordinator," Chatman said. "He ended up going to LSU and it went downhill from there."

Still, Chatman was a pretty productive receiver for the Bearcats in his short time here and he always had a knack for finding yards on a kick return.

That's what got him noticed in Green Bay and that's what's kept him on the roster as a Bengal.

"Oh yeah, always...(the) more you can do the better you are," Chatman said. "I've maybe slowed down a step at the most...but not too much."

Overall, Chatman's a seventh year NFL vet (exceeding the normal "expectancy" of most). At some point in his life, he'll have valuable and entertaining information to share.

After all, he's probably seen it all (having played with future Hall of Famer Bret Favre) and heard it all (with a locker next to "the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson").

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