2022 Football Roster
Bates, Chance

Jersey Number 40
Chance Bates
- Position:
- Inside Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 241
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Muscle Shoals, Ala.
- High School:
- Colbert County HS
- Prev School:
- Kennesaw State
- Major:
- Leadership in Organization
Bio
Prior to 2022 season: Transfer from Kennesaw State who earned four letters (2018-21) … Two-time All-Big South selections (spring ’21 and fall ’21) … Third-Team All-Big South Team selection by Phil Steele Magazine in 2021 … Established career highs in tackles eight twice (ETSU ‘21 and Kent State ’19) … Personal-best 1.5 TFLs in a game on two occasions (Robert Morris ’21 and Monmouth ’19) … Picked off one career pass (vs. Campbell ’21) returning it 27 yards for a score.
2022: Booked four tackles (one solo) in the season opener against No. 13 NC State ... Registered two tackles (both assisted) versus Old Dominion ... Tallied four tackles (three solo) and recorded his second career interception (first at East Carolina) in the win over Campbell ... Recorded a career and game-high 11 tackles (three solo) against Navy ... Logged three tackles (two solo), including half of a tackle for loss, and was credited with a pass breakup versus South Florida ... Notched one tackle (solo) at Tulane ... Earned his first start of the season and first at East Carolina in the quadruple-overtime triumph over Memphis ... Booked three tackles (two solo) ... Posted three tackles (two solo) in the win over UCF ... Matched his career high with a team-best 11 tackles at BYU ... Also credited with a quarterback hurry ... Logged five tackles (all assisted) at Cincinnati.
Fall 2021: All-Big South Conference Second-Team pick as a senior … Finished second on the team in tackles with 48 ... Recorded a season high six tackles (two solo) during a week eight win at Campbell (Oct. 23) ... Also recorded his first career interception and returned it 27 yards ... Tied a career-high in tackles with eight (six solo) at ETSU (Dec. 4) in the second round of the FCS Playoffs ... Also added 0.5 tackles-for-loss.
Spring 2021: Second Team All-Big South Conference selection following junior campaign … Started all five games and finished third on the team with 26 tackles … Had six tackles vs. Charleston Southern (March 13) and Dixie State (March 20) … Posted a team-high seven tackles vs Robert Morris (April 3).
2019: Played in all 14 games and made seven starts for the No. 3 total defense in the country … Finished fourth on the team with 45 tackles (29 solo) … Recorded 4.0 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries … Registered a season-high eight tackles at Kent State (Sept. 7) … Had back-to-back games of seven tackles against Monmouth (Nov. 2) and Campbell (Nov. 9) … Added a season-high 1.5 tackles for loss against Monmouth … Registered a tackle for loss against Gardner-Webb (Nov. 23) in the final game of the regular season … Recorded three tackles in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs against No. 11 Wofford (Nov. 30).
2018: Played in 12 games his freshman season, earning four starts … Made his collegiate debut at Tennessee Tech, recording five tackles … Finished the year with 22 total tackles, 15 solo … Tallied a career-high six tackles in KSU’s FCS Quarterfinal game against South Dakota State (Dec. 8), including his first career tackle for loss … Had one QB hurry against SDSU.
High School: Four-year player at Colbert County HS for coach Brett Mask ... Helped lead team to 33-21 overall record and four Class 3A playoff appearances ... Named Class 3A Region-8 Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2015 and 2017 ... Two-time Colbert County Most Valuable Linebacker ... Class 3A All-State selection by the Alabama Sportswriters Association ... Finished senior season with 96 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two sacks and scored a defensive touchdown ... Also rushed for 584 yards on 84 carries, scoring seven touchdowns as a running back ... Caught eight passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns ... Averaged 6.5 yards per carry and 21.2 yards per reception ... Also played basketball.
Personal: Full name is Chance Bates ... Son of Lasharo Bates … Born at Tuscumbia, Ala. … Majored in exercise science at Kennesaw State.
2022: Booked four tackles (one solo) in the season opener against No. 13 NC State ... Registered two tackles (both assisted) versus Old Dominion ... Tallied four tackles (three solo) and recorded his second career interception (first at East Carolina) in the win over Campbell ... Recorded a career and game-high 11 tackles (three solo) against Navy ... Logged three tackles (two solo), including half of a tackle for loss, and was credited with a pass breakup versus South Florida ... Notched one tackle (solo) at Tulane ... Earned his first start of the season and first at East Carolina in the quadruple-overtime triumph over Memphis ... Booked three tackles (two solo) ... Posted three tackles (two solo) in the win over UCF ... Matched his career high with a team-best 11 tackles at BYU ... Also credited with a quarterback hurry ... Logged five tackles (all assisted) at Cincinnati.
Fall 2021: All-Big South Conference Second-Team pick as a senior … Finished second on the team in tackles with 48 ... Recorded a season high six tackles (two solo) during a week eight win at Campbell (Oct. 23) ... Also recorded his first career interception and returned it 27 yards ... Tied a career-high in tackles with eight (six solo) at ETSU (Dec. 4) in the second round of the FCS Playoffs ... Also added 0.5 tackles-for-loss.
Spring 2021: Second Team All-Big South Conference selection following junior campaign … Started all five games and finished third on the team with 26 tackles … Had six tackles vs. Charleston Southern (March 13) and Dixie State (March 20) … Posted a team-high seven tackles vs Robert Morris (April 3).
2019: Played in all 14 games and made seven starts for the No. 3 total defense in the country … Finished fourth on the team with 45 tackles (29 solo) … Recorded 4.0 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries … Registered a season-high eight tackles at Kent State (Sept. 7) … Had back-to-back games of seven tackles against Monmouth (Nov. 2) and Campbell (Nov. 9) … Added a season-high 1.5 tackles for loss against Monmouth … Registered a tackle for loss against Gardner-Webb (Nov. 23) in the final game of the regular season … Recorded three tackles in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs against No. 11 Wofford (Nov. 30).
2018: Played in 12 games his freshman season, earning four starts … Made his collegiate debut at Tennessee Tech, recording five tackles … Finished the year with 22 total tackles, 15 solo … Tallied a career-high six tackles in KSU’s FCS Quarterfinal game against South Dakota State (Dec. 8), including his first career tackle for loss … Had one QB hurry against SDSU.
High School: Four-year player at Colbert County HS for coach Brett Mask ... Helped lead team to 33-21 overall record and four Class 3A playoff appearances ... Named Class 3A Region-8 Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2015 and 2017 ... Two-time Colbert County Most Valuable Linebacker ... Class 3A All-State selection by the Alabama Sportswriters Association ... Finished senior season with 96 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two sacks and scored a defensive touchdown ... Also rushed for 584 yards on 84 carries, scoring seven touchdowns as a running back ... Caught eight passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns ... Averaged 6.5 yards per carry and 21.2 yards per reception ... Also played basketball.
Personal: Full name is Chance Bates ... Son of Lasharo Bates … Born at Tuscumbia, Ala. … Majored in exercise science at Kennesaw State.
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