MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football defensive end Chason Milner recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss how he came to wear No. 19, what he likes to do in his spare time and what moments still stand out to him from his career that he continues to hold onto, among other things.
Milner, a senior from Spanish Fort, Ala., has been a member of the program since the 2014 season earning letters each of the past three seasons. During his career, Milner has appeared in 29 games collecting 40 total tackles. Against nationally-ranked Oklahoma State, Milner recorded his fourth career sack.
How and when did you get involved with the game of football?
"I got involved in football when I was seven-years old. I have a brother who is four years older than me and he kind of led the way into football for me. Just watching him play is how I got started in the game."
Have you always been on the defensive side of the ball?
"I played both ways in city league on both the offensive and defensive lines since I was a bigger kid. I played offense a lot in the beginning of my career. I really made the solid switch to defense around my junior year of high school."
Is there any significance as to why you wear No. 19?
"No but there's a funny story with it. I was No. 28 when I first got here and both myself and Xavier [Johnson] were on kickoff return and that was a problem since we couldn't wear the same number out on the field at the same time. I switched to No. 26 one year because of more special teams issues and then the next year I wanted to try to get No. 16 which I wore in high school, but it wasn't available. I told them to just put me in a jersey number; I really didn't care what number it was so that's how I ended up with 19."
How do you feel that you've improved as a person and as a player since arriving on campus?
"Playing here at South has had a big impact on my life. I feel that I've grown up tremendously during the past four or five years that I've been here. Coming in as a freshman, I was very unfocused and didn't really know what I wanted to do, especially when it came to my major. A lot of the older guys who have already graduated really took myself and a bunch of the other freshman under their wings and helped ups mature early on in our careers. They saw potential in all of us; they had a major impact on me growing up and maturing."
While Mobile is not your hometown, you prepped just across the bay at Spanish Fort. What has it meant to you to be able to continue playing football so close to your home?
"That was actually one of the major reasons why I chose South. My whole family is pretty much 30 minutes away and they can come watch me play whenever they have time to. The other schools I was looking at were eight-plus hours away and I wanted to be able come home when I needed to and be close to my family because we're such a tight-knit group as it is. We all pretty much live in the same neighborhood. I wanted to stay local and stay home."
What do you like about playing in defensive coordinator Greg Stewart's scheme?
"Our scheme is very simple and very up front. We're going to give you a couple of looks and we're going to attack you. The best thing about it is that it just allows us to go out there and play. The number one rule of it is to play hard and give great effort. We'll fix the mistakes as they come along. There isn't a lot of pressure out there on us when we are playing."
What are some of the strengths of the defense?
"I would say the front seven; we have a lot of depth up front. The linebackers are also a very strong group. As a whole, our defense is a night-and-day difference from the time I got here. Over the past couple of seasons, we've shown that we are capable of being a dominant defensive group. We also have a strong brotherhood. We all get along and are able to lean on each other."
Did you set any personal goals for yourself this season?
"Of course I would love to be either a first- or second-team all-Sun Belt player; that's always a goal. I definitely want to make plays out on the field whether that's sacks, tackles for loss or whatever, I just want to contribute as a player. To be able to contribute as much as I can is probably my main personal goal. The personal stats really don't matter to me as long as we get the win; that's all I care about. I just want to improve every day. I've struggled with consistency throughout my career here, so I just want to stay consistent."
What are you wanting to do after your football career is over?
"I would love to get into the strength and conditioning field. I graduated with an undergrad in business management and quickly realized that one of the biggest areas that has made had an impact on me was the weight room and the strength and conditioning staff here at South. I just want to be able to have an impact on others through strength and conditioning. I would love to be able to get into that field."
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I hunt and fish when I have time, but it's hard to do those things during football season. I might get out there once or twice on a bye weekend. Hunting and fishing is something that myself, my brother and my dad have really bonded through. We love to get out when we can."
As a senior, what how have you embraced your leadership role on the team?
"I'm not really a vocal leader, but I lead more by the way I do things. I try to set a good example for people. I help out people whenever I can. I try to be as personable as I can, especially to the younger guys because they are still trying to figure their way out around here."
Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
"The people who have probably had the biggest influence on my life would probably be my high school coaches – Mark Freeman and Shawn Defoor. Those two guys took a kid who didn't really have a place on the field and was bouncing around from offense to defense early on in high school and gave me a position. They had so much belief in me, probably more than any other coach has had during my career. They said 'You're going to play here no matter what, so you better strap up and get ready.'
"Outside of football, I would say my older brother. He's constantly pushing me to be my best, and he always has ever since I was a little kid, whether that was working out with me or just trying to make me tougher. He's had a big influence on my life."
Is there a moment from your time here at South that stands out to you and that you still hold onto?
"Both the losses in the bowl games; they both still hold a place in my heart. When you get to bowl games, no matter how hard the season has gone, you still have to finish. Losing both of those games really hurt. Those two things still stick out in my mind. Hopefully this year when we get to the bowl game, we can finish the season. We are trying to change the culture here and winning a bowl game is one of the first steps in changing the culture here."
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