Michael Shipma
Sports Editor
To some, he’s known as Jordan Chunn; but on the field and in Troy, he’s known far and wide as the MegaChunn.
As the name would imply, the senior running back from Gurley is a force to be reckoned with on the field, and after Troy football’s historic season in 2016, he’s back for more.
Some fans may not remember, but Chunn’s stats last year were nothing short of remarkable, especially given the fact that he was coming off a season-ending collarbone injury two games into the prior season.
It was a comeback story that couldn’t have been written any better, and it’s an experience that Chunn said gave him a new perspective on football and life.
It was a perspective that he attained not only through his injury, but also through the help of some teammates.
“That injury really had a toll on me,” Chunn said in an interview. “One play can take the game away … it can be gone in one second.
“(Teammate) Josh Anderson was one of the guys that I stayed with that year, and he told me to put everything in God’s hands and that it’d lay itself out.”
According to Chunn, it was Anderson, who is another one of Troy’s big, physical backs, as well as others who helped him have the season he had in 2016.
It was a season where he rushed for 16 touchdowns, which brings him 12 shy of the most all-time by a Sun Belt running back. But if you ask him, Chunn would say that his success last year was the result of more than just himself.
“The season I had last year wasn’t all me,” he said. “It was Josh Anderson and God and other people and the training staff.
“A lot of people put in the work to help my success.”
Furthermore, the fact that Anderson and Chunn get to finish out their collegiate careers together is a big deal for Chunn, who considers himself lucky to be able to have his friend and teammate as his backup on the field.
“It means a lot, man,” he said when asked what it meant to him to play with Anderson. “That guy is a person, on and off the field; he’s a great leader.
“He actually led me to Christ. That guy right there … I’m actually ready to see what he does this year, because he had a great fall camp, and I’m ready to see how he plays.”
Anderson is, in fact, an unsung hero of the Trojan backfield. He rushed for 280 yards and three scores on 56 carries last year. When you watch him play, he presents another two-fold threat to defenses through his bulldozer running style and sure hands as a receiver.
As far as the main workload for running the ball goes, and as far as helping Troy match its success from last season, expect Chunn to do what he does best: be the MegaChunn.
