Sometimes ideas hit. They steal from famous lines whether in poetry or classic writing or from modern movies, television or even music. They're pure plagiaristic in nature and tired in their usage. And then the rare moments when they fit…like a quarterback turned tight end.
 
Chris James came to Chattanooga as part of Tom Arth's 2017 signing class. Considered a gunslinger behind center, he was brought in from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas as direct competition for Nick Tiano and Dominic Caldwell.
 
He had a history of being able to throw it around with a willingness to run. James impressed in camp, but Tiano earned the spot playing nearly every snap in 2018.
 
What's a guy to do? New head coach Rusty Wright came on board and with the shuffle in coaching staff and roster makeup, two more talented quarterbacks were added to the room. The two seniors Tiano and James, along with Caldwell, welcomed junior transfer Drayton Arnold and freshman Gio Richardson.
 
The staff knew one thing after spring camp, we'd like to find a way to get Chris James on the field.
 
"You saw a guy that's long, athletic and strong that can run," Coach Rusty Wright stated. "There's never enough of those guys on the field at this level. It's hard to get that many guys reps (at QB) preparing for a season. It comes to a point where you have to make decisions that are best for the football team and him if he wants to play."
 
James was reluctant. On the one hand, he's always been a quarterback, a leader. It's a tough call moving from the most glamorous position on the field (sorry linebackers but it's true) to a pass-catching offensive lineman.
 
"I was pretty shocked at first," James admitted. "I thought they'd written me off as a quarterback and I'm not going to lie, I was pretty upset for a few days. But I still attacked it with the right mindset after talking to Coach (Joe) Pizzo and he told me they thought I was a good enough athlete that I needed to be out on the field. That changed my mindset.
 
"Once I understood the thought process, I took it as a big compliment."
 
Then the truth shines forth. While he's played quarterback, he's always been a football player.
 
"I've played other positions my whole career," James added. "It was only in my senior year of high school that I became a full-time quarterback. I played safety, outside linebacker and some running back. I like to say I'm an o-lineman at heart. Love those guys.
 
"I went with Harrison Moon this summer to some training sessions in Georgia because I want to be a coach someday," he continued. "I watched him, learned their technique a little bit, but I had no idea I would get to apply some of that this season. I like catching footballs, but blocking is kind of fun."
 
Moon was quick to share what makes this move not only possible, but why it's worked so well early in the season.

"If you ask anyone on the team, Chris James is by far the hardest worker," Moon noted. "Even when he was still a quarterback in camp, he asked Coach Wright if he could do board drills. You don't see that.
 
"The way he talks to us on the offensive line. and the physicality he wants to bring along with us, he also adds a little crazy. He's got the right mentality."
 
We're not talking about an overnight conversion. It takes a lot of work and he's made it look seamless. It hasn't been, but that shows the type of athlete he is.
 
"He really, really wants to get better at the position," Coach Jacob Huesman chimed in. "He'd never played it before, so we're starting from scratch. But his want-to learning the position is second to none. He puts in extra work, extra film.
 
"It's gotten to the point where he's out on the field as much as anybody with his plays at tight end and special teams. He's put himself in that position solely though his work ethic. He can be a weapon in the pass game and has an intention to be physical. At this level, it's rare to find a tight end that make a difference blocking and catching.
 
"Chris has that."
 
It shows in the play below. This post route at Mercer is how moving from the QB room to tight end is a benefit.
  "It was cover-2 with the safety outside the hash," he explained. "That was supposed to be a vertical seam route, but I read the cover-2 and knew the middle of the field would be open. I bent the route in between the safeties and Nick saw it too.
 
"I'm glad Nick and I have a connection like that coming from the same quarterback room."
 
James has a big fan in his quarterback.
 
"Chris, No. 1, his mentality just needs to be on the field for us," Tiano stated. "He's been a leader since the day he got here. He out-works everybody every day. He's taking advantage of an opportunity.
 
"He's embraced it and never looked back."
 
Well, to be fair, he did get a chance to look back a little. Trickeration against Western Carolina led to his first Scenic City touchdown pass. That's been sandwiched between TD receptions versus James Madison and Mercer. That's a 3-game scoring streak. What's his favorite play?
 
"I would say the first catching touchdown against JMU," he said without hesitation. "You could see it in the celebration. It was really cool."
 
 
So back to the title and weaving sport, life and arts together. Stealing from the great Robert Frost, two roads diverged on the field and James, well James took the one less traveled by ... and for the Mocs, it's making all the difference.