Small-town football quarterback leads team to first conference game win of the 2023-24 season
Chapman quarterback Tyler Pacheco steps in after Nathaniel Espinoza’s season-ending injury this past game on Oct. 7. Photos courtesy of Tyler Pacheco
“Keep on keeping on,” is a common phrase tied to the lingo of Chapman University's football team, meaning no matter the outcome, we move forward.
Tyler Pacheco used this phrase, as many before him have, as he spoke to The Panther about his development over the years, which have allowed him to take on the responsibility as Chapman football’s newest quarterback (QB) after senior sociology major Nathaniel Espinoza’s season-ending injury that resulted from prior issues with his leg.
Pacheco, a sophomore majoring in business with an emphasis in finance, hails from Hollister, a small town in northern California. He started playing football in high school, and since moving to Orange to attend Chapman, he feels that even though he is in a bigger city, he was immediately welcomed into the Chapman football community.
Regarding Espinoza’s influence on his development to move into the QB position, Pacheco has nothing but positive words about Espinoza’s leadership.
“Nate is one of my best friends,” Pacheco said. “He took me under his wing. He is a lot older than I am, played a lot more football than me, and he has shown me a lot of stuff on film that has helped me become a better quarterback. With his help, I felt like I was ready to step into this role. I’m thankful for my teammates and everyone who has supported me in this process.”
“Nate is one of my best friends. He took me under his wing. He is a lot older than I am, played a lot more football than me, and he has shown me a lot of stuff on film that has helped me become a better quarterback. With his help, I felt like I was ready to step into this role. I’m thankful for my teammates and everyone who has supported me in this process.”
Espinoza, Chapman’s previous football captain and quarterback, took a hard hit during a previous game on Sept. 30 that resulted in him stepping down from his position for the rest of the season. Although Espinoza is not physically on the field playing, he will continue to support his teammates from the sidelines in any way he can.
“When he went down, we were playing Cal Lutheran,” Pacheco said. “Obviously, he was carted off the field. We knew it was going to be something serious by the way he reacted. I fished out the first half. He was in the athletic training room, and I went in there to see him. He gave me a hug and told me to go win the game. I felt like his support helped me (in stepping up as the quarterback).”
According to Pacheco, there were no athletic changes or corrections from coaches for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges vs. Chapman game on Oct. 7 other than going out onto the field with energy and getting the win.
“We lost a few games, and it’s tough. We had lost three games in a row, and we lost our starting quarterback, but I have to give credit to my teammates because I never for one second thought anyone was doubting anything,” Pacheco said. “All these guys don’t care how it happens; they just want to win games. We have a great bond as a team, and I think our team meshes really well together. As a whole, we trust we can win games no matter who is out there.”
“I have to give credit to my teammates because I never for one second thought anyone was doubting anything. All these guys don’t care how it happens; they just want to win games. We have a great bond as a team, and I think our team meshes really well together. As a whole, we trust we can win games no matter who is out there.”
Pacheco continued: “We came into the game with Espinoza injured. He had issues with his leg (prior to the season-ending injury). I came in and thought I was going to try to do some things that he couldn't do because of his injury. We just started running the ball.”
Running the ball more once Pacheco stepped in as the quarterback allowed the team to get the ball further throughout the game. The team came together, and the defense played incredible. As Pacheco said, the group prided itself in its defense group, being the reason for this game win. That had to do with the Pick 6, which occurs when an interception is made by a defensive player and subsequently returned for a touchdown, which linebacker Kade Jordan made while chasing guys down all day, according to Pacheco.
“It was a fun locker room after that (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges vs. Chapman football game); we say that it is a ‘Panther Party’ after we win at home,” Pacheco said. “It's always good to win and win at home. As a team, we are big on celebrating our wins because if we can’t celebrate our wins, then we can’t distinguish them from our losses. It is important to come back the next day and break down the film and see what we need to do to get better.”
With three more games left in the season, Chapman’s football team faces the pressure of having to win the rest of their games this season in order to play in the championship. This past weekend, the team also won a game against Pomona-Pitzer 21-0, keeping them in the running for the championships.
“It was a fun locker room after that (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges vs. Chapman football game); we say that it is a ‘Panther Party’ after we win at home. It’s always good to win and win at home. As a team, we are big on celebrating our wins because if we can’t celebrate our wins, then we can’t distinguish them from our losses. It is important to come back the next day and break down the film and see what we need to do to get better.”
