Meet Joe Chrismer, the senior safety of the football team. The hard hitting safety has been making big stops on defense all year including a late game heroic interception to secure a win against cross town rival King’s College during a blizzard.
Age: 22
Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Mountain Top, PA.
Which high school did you go to? Crestwood.
What’s it like playing football not too far from your hometown? It’s nice you get a lot of the local guys to follow you. It’s pretty nice to go back home and see how the teams doing. My family is at every game.
A couple of weeks ago, Alex George said that you’re the hardest hitter on the team. Is that true? I thought he was probably about right. Not to toot my own horn, but I look to give out the big hits. Being a smaller guy, I think it’s kind of a shocker for some of the receivers to get pinned up on their backs. Then they look up and see a 180 pound safety that hit them.
What was the biggest hit that you had this year? Widenor’s number one receiver and the game at Lycoming was probably my two biggest hits this season. They were both momentum shifters for us.
What was the biggest pass deflection that you had this year? Biggest pass deflection was against Susquehanna. Their top receiver was an All-American. They went at me and it was my first start. Big get up for me.
What sports do you play other than football? Basketball four years in high school, baseball until freshman year in high school and I also ran track. I just kept busy.
Who’s one guy in the NFL that you would love to tackle? Probably would have to be Terrell Owens or Chad Ochocinco.
Wait, so you don’t like those guys? (laughs) No, I would just like to see what their reactions would be. I like them as receivers. I think they’re great receivers, but I love to see what their reactions would be.
Who would you want to be up against more? I would probably be Ochocinco since he would have a better reaction than TO.
Who’s your NFL team?
Denver Broncos.
What do you think of the whole Tebow situatuation? I’m a fan of Tebow. People just need to give him time. I can see what he’ll become eventually. He needs an off season and some games under his belt. He’ll be perfectly fine.
Are you familiar Tebowing, where you take a knee and pray in a random public place? (laughs) No I haven’t heard of that.
How did you get that comparison to Revis Island? They kind of brought that up last year in the game I started against Utica. I shut down their two top receivers who had probably 14 catches a piece. They kind of came up with Chrismer Island. I just kept a level head and did what I needed to do, more or less.
Do they still call it Chrismer Island? (laughs) No, not anymore.
When you used to play corner with Matt Gunther as the other corner, did the team ever call you guys Revis and Cromartie? (laughs) Yeah, but I’m playing safety now. They’ve kept me there for the last two games.
Are you more like your mom or dad? My dad. I’m a lot like him. We have a lot of the same personality. The only thing I’m like the mom is that we’re both talkative. I’m not afraid to talk to anybody.
What’s it like being tied for third most tackles on the team? I didn’t even know that. It beat my expectations. It feels good to be up there with Tate. He’s a hell of a player.
Sports information reported that your have two carries for two yards. How did you get that? That would be the announcer’s problem, I guess. They must’ve mistaken me for Tivald. (laughs) I’ll take it. That’s Tivald’s yards for sure. That’s just a mess-up which happens, but I’ll take the stats
Is there any reason that you wear #23? I was #11 all throughout high school for both basketball and football. My roommate and best friend, Matt Gunther was #11 in high school. We had arguments over it, but I let him have it. I just stuck with #23 because Michael Jordan with his mental aspect and drive was my favorite player.