EXCLUSIVE: Colorado commit Talan Chandler has dreams beyond football

The Missouri native is trending into a split career few have done before

Talan Chandler/ CU Buffs

If you've ever been to or traveled through Nevada, Missouri, you've probably noticed a bit of history with the small town in Southwest Missouri's midsection. The land originally called "Hog Eye" by European-American settlers was changed to mirror the western state that borders California in the mid-1850s.

One of the few US towns with an adopted name after a state is also the home of Talan Chandler. Missouri's top football prospect made his commitment to Colorado official prior to his senior year and will head west to be part of Coach Prime's 2024 recruiting class.

While Chandler hopes to be Nevada's first football player to make it big in the NFL, his aspirations go far beyond the gridiron.

"I want to be a doctor," Chandler said.

The odds of being an M.D. and riding out a pro career isn't impossible, but It's also extremely rare. A feat only a select few have been able to accomplish.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff made history in 2014 as the only physician to be an active NFL player. He put together a nine-year career and was most recently on the New York Jets roster last year. In 2019, LDT notched a win in Super Bowl LIV with Kansas City Chiefs. He's the only doctor out of the six who've ever played in the NFL with a championship ring.

However, Dan Fortmann will probably forever be known as "one-of-one" in Canton. The Chicago Bears ninth-round draft pick in 1936 went on to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player. He practiced medicine for the final three years of his career and was a trailblazer for his time.

"It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I enjoy helping people." Chandler said. He wants to stay in sports medicine when all is said and done, and he hangs up his cleats. Not to rush as he'll need the greater part of a decade to complete the process.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive lineman took part of a state title while at Lutheran St. Charles as a sophomore. Chandler moved to Nevada prior to his junior year and earned first-team all-state honors for a straight second year. He also notched first-team honors on the News-Leader All-Ozarks and News-Leader Dominant Dozen lists.

Chandler wasn't hard for Deion Sanders to find and chose CU over several other FBS schools. It came down to the relationship with Prime, along with an opportunity to compete at a high level.

"I bought into Coach Prime’s vision," Chandler said. We want winners, guys with that killer and championship mindset. If you are getting recruited by Colorado, there is a reason. Prime does not go after just anybody. He's a proven winner, and you can see the culture he is building. Coming to Colorado isn’t a now decision. It’s a decision that will change your future."

Chandler takes his final year at Nevada to grow before becoming a Buff. He'll look to build on a triple-digit pancake/knockdown block total from last season