Born in Tiburon, California, Chapman graduated from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California in 1934, with letters in football, baseball, basketball and track; his football coach was former Cal star Roy Riegels.\n', '

Going to the university at Riegels\' suggestion, Chapman starred in football for the Golden Bears under head coach Stub Allison, where he was first nicknamed "Sleepy Sam" due to his stolid temperament. He was named an All-American for the 1937 Pacific Coast Conference and national champion "Thunder Team", which went on to win the 1938 Rose Bowl; the last time California has won the game. Later nicknamed the "Tiburon Terror", Chapman was also an All-American college baseball player.\n', '

Turning down a pro football career after being drafted in the third round of the 1938 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League, he made his debut with the Athletics on May 16, 1938, shortly after graduation. He played most of the season in left field, moving to center field the following year. As a rookie, he batted .259 with 17 home runs (second on the team to Bob Johnson) and 63 runs batted in. His batting average and RBI total increased steadily in each of the next three campaigns, to .269/64 (1939) and .276/75 (1940) before peaking with a .322 average and 106 RBI in 1941. In the latter year he had his best season, finishing fifth in the AL in both slugging average (.543) and total bases (300), with a career-best 25 home runs. On May 5, 1939, Chapman hit for the cycle against the St. Louis Browns.\n', '

Return to Sam Chapman Autograph Profile