Mocs QB Chris James Hopes College Football Career Gets on Track at UTC

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) You could probably find more film of Bill Belichick smiling than film of Chattanooga’s Chris James playing college football.
He red-shirted at Valdosta State in 2015, and then an injury derailed his two year stint in junior college. Now James has landed at UTC, where he’s fighting for the Mocs starting quarterback job.

Chris James college football career really hasn’t gotten off the ground in three years, but James has learned a lot from his gridiron odyssey.
James:”I’m glad for every, every bit of the journey that I’ve been on so far. It has shaped the man I am becoming.”
Said head coach Tom Arth:”He has that urgency. I think that’s one of like the best traits that he has. Every day is so important to him. He works with a different demeanor. His demeanor is not kind of the stereotype of what a quarterback is.”
No wonder James doesn’t have a quarterback demeanor.
He doesn’t look like a quarterback.
He’s listed at 6’3, 220, but he looks bigger in person.
Arth:”He’s a physical guy. He is going to be able to take hits. He’s going to be able to run the football and stand in the pocket with great courage.”
Said James:”I’m pretty athletic for my size, so I think just throwing the ball down field and being able to move around a little bit.”
Said Arth:”Chris is a quarterback with his arm strength. He can throw it out there about 60 or 65 yards pretty effortlessly.”
James could be a diamond in the rough for UTC if he plays up to his size and ability.
Said Arth:”Whether he is going out there and taking the first snap of the season or not, he is a steal for us. We are a better football program. We are a better team. Our position group is better because of Chris James.”
Said James:”It has been tough up until this point. It has made me very anxious to get on the field.”