Elijah Chatman’s father used to walk down stairs on his hands.
Yes, strength runs in the Chatman family, even if calisthenics workouts are very different from the brute force that is helping Elijah in his job.
Three months after he earned a contract with the Giants by impressing during his two-day tryout in rookie minicamp, Chatman is getting first-team reps along the defensive line in training camp. He appears to be on the right side of the roster bubble.
You might laugh at the size juxtaposition of All-Pro Dexter Lawrence (6-foot-4, 340 pounds) lining up next to Chatman (a generous 6-foot, 278), if not for the threat that Chatman could inflict painful payback.
“He’s short. He’s not little,” defensive line coach Andre Patterson said. “Two different things. He’s probably the strongest guy on the team.”
Chatman could be one of those noteworthy finds who slips through traditional scouting cracks because he does not fit the prototypical physical mold. Too small to succeed in the NFL trenches, doubters would say.
“I didn’t see it as an obstacle, but obviously it was an obstacle and still is an obstacle,” Chatman told The Post. “I look at it as motivation to go that much harder. I have to work twice as hard because I’m not as big as the guys, so I have to be stronger and I have to be faster.”
Strength has never been a problem. He earned a spot on the annual College Football Freaks list compiled by The Athletic in 2023.
Chatman was bench-pressing 225 pounds not long after he started lifting weights in seventh grade, and he was able to do 42 reps at 225 entering his final year at SMU.
He pushed his other workout-warrior maximums to 715 pounds on the back squat and 375 pounds on the power clean before leaving school.
Add in a 31-inch vertical leap and 32 ³/₄-inch arms.
But Chatman credits Patterson — one of the NFL’s top defensive line coaches — for tapping into his speed in their short time together.
“He knows my skill set better than I actually did,” Chatman said. “I knew I had power and speed, and I knew how to use it, but I didn’t know how to use it as best I can to my advantage. He taught me to run off the ball. Whenever I run off the ball, I create problems. Because I’m fast, I’m in the vicinity of the offense like that [quick]. It’s really taken my game to another level.”
Chatman recorded 33 tackles, including nine for loss and 4.5 sacks, last season as first-team all-conference selection.
But he was snubbed by the NFL Combine and all the postseason all-star games, so going undrafted wasn’t a big surprise.
“I honestly expected to get overlooked because of my size, but in my heart I knew I could compete with a lot of the guys getting picked,” Chatman said. “I just took whatever God blessed me with and I ran with it — and I ended up here.”
Chatman’s first taste of the NFL came during a rookie minicamp tryout with the Seahawks, where he lined up at outside linebacker for the first time in his career. One week later, he was with the Giants, who didn’t judge the book by its cover.
“My mindset coming into rookie minicamp was to be focused on giving my all to everything they threw at us, whether that was an [11-on-11] period — which we didn’t have — or drills,” Chatman said. “Anyone who gives me an opportunity to prove myself, I appreciate. The Giants judged me by what I can actually do. That’s what I love, and that’s why I love being here.”
Defensive tackle arguably was the deepest spot on the roster at this time last year.
Since then, Leonard Williams was traded, A’Shawn Robinson left in free agency and Rakeem Nunez-Roches was elevated to starter.
Chatman, who had a sack in the first preseason game, is pushing recent late-round picks Jordon Riley and D.J. Davidson, and veteran Timmy Horne on the depth chart.
“You always want big, fast, long, strong people. That’s what this league is,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “But he was a talented player in college, too, when you went back and watched him. … He’s got some explosiveness and quick twitch — maybe a little bit different than some of the bigger guys. I think he’s developed since he’s been here.”
Patterson likes to tell young players to forget what they learned in high school and college, and surrender themselves to his coaching pointers. Not everyone is as receptive to abandoning the ways that got them to the NFL as Chatman.
“His lack of height helps him,” Patterson said. “Everybody in my room, I have to talk about [lower] pad level. I don’t talk about pad level with him.
“Now he still has a long way to go to be the kind of player that I want him to be and to make this team, but he’s gotten better and put some good things on tape. I’ve coached guys his height, and they ended up being pretty good players. I don’t know if he will, but he’s got some qualities that I can’t give him as a coach.”
