Ja’Marr Chase was relatively new to the long jump. In fact, he had never competed in the event in any official capacity before his junior season of high school.
But there he was, at the Louisiana state track meet, gearing up for a jump. Chase’s father, Jimmy Chase, remembers it well. Two older boys made strong jumps ahead of Ja’Marr and were the toast of the event. The crowd roared for them, chanting their names and clapping their hands.
All it did was fuel and motivate Chase.
“I have an old saying,” Jimmy says. “‘You make Ja’Marr mad, he’s going to do something.