In CWU Football, number 44 isn’t just a number on the back of the jersey. The prestigious number is awarded to a defensive player that is a leader, a competitor and embodies what it means to be a Wildcat on and off the field while honoring the players of the past to wear 44. With the 2025 season in full swing, senior defensive back Chase Coalson has taken the mantle of rocking the double fours.
“I think Chase epitomizes all the things we really stress on defensively. He’s a physical football player, extremely smart, very productive and such a great leader on and off the field. I think he does a good job setting the standard not just for what a play should look like, but for what everything in the program should look like,” Defensive Coordinator Grant Torgerson said.
Coalson, out of Peninsula High School, was named as an All-Lone Star conference (LSC) honorable mention in 2024 where he started every game, racked up 49 tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His versatility on defense allows for Torgerson to show many different looks to opposing offenses.
“I think corner back is probably the only position that he hasn’t played on defense. He is such a jack of all trades, he spends most of his time at safety but we will put him in at linebacker or on the line of scrimmage for some blitz packages. He is a guy who is very smart and can handle a lot of different things,” Torgerson said.
Head Coach Chris Fisk, noted Coalson’s instant impact to the team since. “He’s been elevating this defense for a long time. We always thought he would be a really great football player and he was already a good person before we got him,” Fisk said.
In what Fisk said was Coalson’s ‘breakout game’ against Weber State in 2023, he also sustained an injury that would keep him sidelined the rest of the regular season. “The second he got back, it was for our second round playoff game vs Bemidji State, the very first play of the game he had an impact on the team. He has always been that guy,” Fisk said.
While injuries are a part of the game you can’t fully train for, Coalson says he has developed an even greater work ethic as he has found himself grinding to get back from certain injuries.
“When you battle an injury, it’s something that is kind of like you against you in your own mind and how you are going to face it. The couple injuries I’ve had in the past throughout my career, I think they’ve really shaped me into who I am today,” Coalson said.
The process of selecting the next 44 isn’t just a coaching decision. In fact, the person with the most say in who takes the mantle is the person who wore the 44 the season before. In this case it was two-time J.V. Sikes award winner Tanner Volk.
“[Tanner] talked to me a lot about wearing it with pride and to understand the meaning behind it. How certain guys will look up to me now, they will look at me as a leader and as someone they can count on. Knowing the demands of it and the history of those who have worn it before,” Coalson said.
Coalson now joins the long lasting legacy of Wildcats to dawn the reputable 44. Past players include Volk, Donte Hamilton, John Koopman and Adam Bighill.
Following a 91-31 win over University of Western New Mexico, Coalson and the Wildcats boast the third best defense in the LSC after four games. The next game of the season is against the other New Mexico college as CWU welcomes Eastern New Mexico University to Tomlinson Stadium at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4.
