WHS alumni and standout athlete honored as a Legend of the Game


Weiser High School graduate Chad Carpenter was presented with a ‘Legend of the Game’ award on Oct. 20 during the homecoming game against Homedale. Carpenter was a member of the Class of 1992 and all-state quarterback for the Wolverines. He went on to have a standout collegiate football career at Washington State University and also played in the NFL. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals and played three seasons for the team and one season for the Cleveland Browns. He currently resides in Arizona with his wife and family, coaches high school football and owns an athletic training business. Above, from left, assistant high school principal Drew Dickerson, Carpenter, award sponsor Chance Stevenson, a 2002 WHS grad, and WHS principal Dave Davies. Photo by Steve Lyon.
By: 
Steve Lyon
It has been 27 years since Chad Carpenter put on shoulder pads and helmet and played football for Weiser High School.
 Carpenter, a 1992 WHS graduate, was honored as a “Legend of the Game” during halftime of the homecoming game against conference rival Homedale on Oct. 20. 
 The recognition of former standout WHS athletes and role models was started this year by Weiser football coach Tom Harrison. 
 Carpenter said walking out to mid-field under the lights to receive the award was a big deal for him, and it was made all the more special by having his wife and parents there.
 “It was great coming back home. Watching the team play in such an awesome environment at the park, with the fans on the hill, the student body in the stands, the flag on the fire truck and the cannon, was truly special,” he said.
 At WHS, Carpenter was a four-sport athlete as a freshman, sophomore and junior competing in football, basketball, track and baseball. 
 In his senior year he opted to play football, basketball and baseball instead of running track.
 Known for his blazing speed, Carpenter won the 100 meters, 200 meters and was the anchor leg on the 4x400 meter relay team that won a state title in his junior year. His school record of 21.1 seconds in the 200 meters still stands today.
 Carpenter led the football team to the state football playoffs during his senior year. The team made it to the quarterfinals that year. He was recognized for his leadership and athletic talent by being named A-2 Football Player of the Year in 1991. He was an all-state QB selection in both his junior and senior years.
 After Weiser High School, he received a scholarhips and the opportunity to play Division 1 football at Washington State University. He was a three-year starter for the Cougars and played in two major bowl games.
 He committed to play wide receiver at Washington State, passing up offers to play quarterback at Arizona and wide receiver for Peyton Manning and the University of Tennessee. 
 At WSU, Carpenter caught passes from future NFL first-rounders Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf. In three years as a starter, he amassed over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
 Following his senior year at WSU, he was awarded the honor of All PAC-10 wide receiver and his accomplishments at WSU placed him ninth overall for wide receivers at WSU. 
 He earned his bachelor’s degree from WSU in the spring of 1997.  
 His childhood dream of playing football on Sunday in the pros became a reality when he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round. 
 He played three seasons with Arizona and one year with the Cleveland Browns.   
 He is still involved in football and hasn’t lost his love of athletic competition. 
 He has coached high school football in Arizona for 12 years and is currently the wide receivers coach at Chandler High School in Chandler, Ariz. 
The Wolves have been nationally ranked for the past four years.   
 His personal coaching philosophy is “I will give the most to my players all the time. I expect the most out of them as well.”
 Carpenter is also a businessman. For the past 10 years, his athletic training business has provided young athletes with the mental and physical skills needed to take their competitive edge to the next level. 
 He said he he enjoys working with kids who are interested in all aspects of becoming a great athlete regardless of the sport. 
 He currently lives in Chandler, Ariz., with his wife Melissa and he has four kids – Devin, Clay, Tanner and Cole. His parents, Mike and Linda Carpenter, now reside in Payette. 
 Carpenter said there was no better place to grow up than Weiser. He went to kindergarten with most of the same kids he graduated with, and that doesn’t happen much anywhere else. As kids, they were able to enjoy all the things a small town area could offer, church, sports, family  and a great sense of community, he said.
 “Most of my best memories are of playing teams that were much bigger than us, in all aspects, and we still were able to beat them because we believed in each other and played for each other as a team. I was able to achieve some really great personal goals because of the coaches and teammates that I played with,” he said. 
 “The records and stats will be broken – they always are, but the lasting memories of playing for Weiser and the pride we had in that will last forever. It was an honor being recognized and I want to thank everyone that made it happen.”

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Weiser, ID 83672
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