Doing It The Right Way: Chris Fairchild
11/29/2016 9:58:00 AM | Football
From Northern Illinois Game Program
Heading into his Senior Day, fifth-year defensive lineman Chris Fairchild is much more at ease with himself than he was just two years ago because of what he's accomplished in the classroom.
Fairchild began his football career at age five and played for his high school varsity team as a freshman, and then saw action for the Golden Flashes as true college freshman. In fact, he is the only remaining player with in-game experience from the 2012 MAC East Championship team. For most of his last 18 years, fall was filled with gamedays on the gridiron.
But in May of 2014, Fairchild got a phone call he will never forget. He was informed he would be academically ineligible to compete in the upcoming season. The 315-pound nose tackle was faced with one of his toughest life decisions. What would he do next?
Whether with his parents, his youth football coach, a childhood friend, or one of the many teammates, coaches or staff members at Kent State, Fairchild has always kept an open ear and taken advantage of the strong support systems around him.
After his first year of youth football, Fairchild was ready to move on to something else, but one of his coaches, who became a mentor over the years and a teammate that turned into a lifelong friend, talked him into sticking with it. From then on, the game became a focal point.
"My whole life's been about football," Fairchild said. "I never went on summer vacation once football season started like other kids. I never missed practice."
Fairchild also enjoyed school growing up. Once high school hit, his size, strength and ability continued to stand out on the field, but academics remained a priority.
"My grades were good throughout high school for the most part," Fairchild said. "But there were some classes where I didn't want to do a whole lot, and I squeaked by. I kind of carried that with me here (at Kent State) for the first couple years."
In his first two years at Kent State, Fairchild became nervous when getting calls and texts from coaches about academic meetings. After his sophomore season of 2013 with the Golden Flashes, Fairchild continued to "squeak by," until the phone call came from then Defensive Coordinator Brian George.
"I can remember everything about it," Fairchild said of the day he learned he would be ineligible. "I just got home from working out and I was sitting in my truck. A wave came over top of me and I started to tear up thinking 'What am I going to do? How am I going to tell my parents?' After getting off the phone I just sat in my truck for what felt like an eternity, but was probably 15 minutes."
Fairchild broke the news to his parents, Vernon and Carol, that he was probably done. The dedicated couple who will be in attendance on Friday, has only missed four of their son's games in 17 seasons.
"They told me you've never quit in your life before. Don't quit now."
Fairchild headed back to campus in the summer and tried to take the same approach to preseason camp and practices as if he'd be able to suit up on Saturdays.
"I was still grinding it out and trying to get better," Fairchild said. "I looked at it as an opportunity to get better, but later in the season, not playing really got me. It wasn't fun anymore."
About nine weeks into the season, Head Coach Paul Haynes told Fairchild to take a weekend at home, relax and think about it.
"So I went home and talked to my parents," Fairchild said. "I looked up above the fire place in our living room and they had hung up my national letter of intent. I stared at it and thought to myself, 'what am I doing'. So I walked up into the woods near my house where it's quiet and peaceful."
There in his favorite spot, Fairchild pondered and decided his love for football was still there. It was time to not just get by in classroom, but excel.
That weekend, Kent State players and coaches didn't know if Fairchild would return to the team until he walked into the Sunday night team meeting.
"They all started clapping," Fairchild said. "Once I sat down they knew I was there to stay."
The following spring semester of 2015 Fairchild made sure he never missed a class. As soon as he got homework assigned to him, he got it done. Every day he visited his academic advisor and spent time in the Academic Resource Center. He talked with learning specialists, writing tutors and anyone that could help him stay ahead in his class work. Since then grades have never been an issue.
"I needed an eye-opener to know that it wasn't just going to be handed to me because I was a football player," Fairchild said. "It's portrayed like that in movies, but it doesn't work like that. You have to go to class, do the work and talk to your professors. And if you need help, you've got to get your help. That's how life goes."
In his final season with the Flashes, Fairchild's performance has never been better. With 31 tackles, he draws double teams and still pushes the pile into backfields.
"Being the only fifth-year player on defense, you learn the ins and outs of how to play the game better," Fairchild said. "You really stick to your fundamentals more. And I'm trying to let loose more and have fun."
While sitting out a season may have been one of the most unsettling times in Fairchild's life, he can admit now that it was the wake-up call he needed.
"It really opened my eyes," Fairchild said. "It meant either I'm done or I'm going to learn to do this the right way. And I chose doing it the right way. Now I can actually go into an academic meeting, knowing I got it done and I'm good to go."
