Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has already established himself as one of the most talented young players in the NFL.
But throughout his journey, not everyone thought he was going to succeed as a receiver. Les Miles, a former head coach at Louisiana State University, apparently told Chase that he couldn’t play receiver when he was coming out of high school.
What's something that motivated Ja'Marr Chase to be the player he is today? "Les Miles told me I couldn’t play receiver when I was coming out of high school…" @WLWT #Bengals #LSU pic.twitter.com/e5699LnoE6
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) January 26, 2022
Chase attended LSU and made a name for himself there, but he did not end up playing under Miles. Miles was fired before Chase’s time with the program began.
Miles produced some impressive results during his time at LSU, but this story certainly does not paint him in the best of lights. He was clearly incorrect about his evaluation of Chase.
Chase wound up playing under Ed Orgeron during his time at LSU. Chase helped the Tigers win the national title in the 2019 season, etching his name into the program’s history forever.
During that championship season, Chase posted some remarkable numbers. In 14 games, he reeled in 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He wound up being selected by the Bengals with the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
These days, he’s looking to win another title. This time around, however, he’s looking to do it at the NFL level. His Bengals are just two wins away from winning this season’s Super Bowl, which would be one of the biggest stories of the year in the sports world.
In order to keep that dream alive, the Bengals will have to beat the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.