Commander Country

Who is Chase Roullier?

Chase Roullier, the Washington Football Team starting Center since 2017, is a man of relative anonymity. However, his Dad pulls back the curtain.

Ivan Lambert

Who is Chase Roullier? Besides the Washington Football Team Center? 

What made this play successful?

You might be surprised to hear that a large part of the success of this play may have actually begun way back in the third grade.

Washington center Chase Roullier was a big kid and his coach had him playing guard on the offensive line of the youth football team.

His coach (his dad, Mark) had played defensive back at Montana Tech, and knew there was more to learn about playing the offensive line, if he was going to help his son.

Mark began watching videos, learning various aspects of how to play the position.

Soon he found himself teaching those third graders the importance of footwork, how to pivot, how to pull and use good hand placement techniques.

The younger Roullier was not your usual or average little-league-playing kid.

Two years later, the current Washington Football Team center was telling his dad he already knew he wanted to play college football.

Even more, how many then ask their father to help them figure out how to take the necessary steps to achieve the goal of playing college football?

Mark Roullier recalls, “He gave up every summer from fifth grade onward to train with the high school team. He would get to the school by 7am and be there until 1 pm. He still loved baseball, so during those summer days he would then practice baseball every week day from 4-7 pm. He knew what he wanted, that’s for sure.”

Having parents who took education seriously, the rule during the school year was, “If the homework is not done, you don’t practice.”

Consequently, from a young age,  Roullier became disciplined, doing his studies and then went to practices.

The study habits paid off as several years later, he was taking on an engineering degree program while simultaneously playing division-one college football.

Roullier not only managed to earn his degree, but he earned that five-year program while playing for the Wyoming Cowboys.

Working so many long and hard days (and nights) led to Chase getting drafted in the sixth round by Washington in the 2017 NFL Draft. 

Mark remembered recently, Chase actually said something to the effect, “At least I won’t have any more 20 hour days. For a while I can focus on one thing (making it in the NFL).”

Four years later, the 6-foot-four, 312 pound center is a mechanical engineer and he has certainly made it to the league, and is manufacturing a successful career in the NFL.

Chase Roullier (age 27) was born August 23, 1993 in Burnsville, MN.

Playing his high school football at Burnsville, and growing up in Minnesota, Chase desired to be a Gopher.

Yet, the University of Minnesota, did not offer him a scholarship.

He then wanted to go to Iowa State for their engineering program, but they too were uninterested in Roullier.

Desiring to find a college program where he could both be an engineer and play football, he accepted one of his fourteen scholarship offers and became a Wyoming Cowboy.

Though most coaches were disinterested in Roullier’s services as a high-school senior, there were college players who noticed his ability quite early.

One of his early days at Wyoming, two players inquired to Roullier, “What are you doing here?”

Chase responded, “I came here to get my degree.”

What he did not initially understand was that the players recognized his capability, and were actually asking, why he had not gone to an even better football school.

In his junior year he began to draw some attention as a prospect who might possibly be drafted into the NFL.

He moved from guard to center in his final season at Wyoming and though it meant learning the new roles of a center,  Roullier realized proficiency at both positions, would increase his chances to play in the NFL.

In addition to football and baseball, he also played hoops for many years.

Being a multi-sport athlete enabled Chase to develop various athletic skills and physical abilities.

Dad actually coached his son for nine years in football and seven each in basketball and baseball.

“I was very hard on him and will admit it. One day after baseball practice he asked me why I was so hard on him?

"I told him that my expectations were higher for him but shouldn’t be higher than his own," the elder Roullier said. 

"He looked at me, nodded his head and said, ‘OK’ and never questioned me again.”

Roullier loved practice so much he was always insisting he had to be 30 minutes early or he was late. 

When practice was finished and most kids immediately wanted to leave, there was Chase insisting on staying late.

Mark recalls how his other coaches were always loving how coachable Chase was growing up.

The NFL has not been easy for Roullier; he experienced a baptism by fire.

Starting center Spencer Long was injured in 2017, Roullier was forced into action.

In his fourth NFL season, he is in a contract year.

Washington management must surely recognize by now Roullier has been a steady, reliable player.

It is my hope they will resign Chase with another contract. 

Married to his wife, Sarah, they have a dog named Laramie (they met at U of Wyoming in Laramie).

Roullier does not participate in social media, choosing to not bring unnecessary attention to himself.

In his spare time, Roullier is an avid woodworker, and has a sponsorship with Ridgid tools.

He is a supporter of the 'Hogfarmers' and their childhood cancer platform.

Roullier evidently adopts his on field-mentality into the public arena realizing the entire job of an offensive lineman is to help someone else become successful.

Who is Chase Roullier?

Mark Roullier summed it up best when he said, “Chase is the most steady person I’ve ever known.” 

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Ivan Lambert
IVAN LAMBERT

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