Prince Alfred College graduate and ex-North Adelaide player Oscar Chapman playing US college football

He’s gone from being unsure of his future to playing college football in front of 110,000 fans. Meet the SA product making a name for himself in the US.

Fireworks over Beaver Stadium in Pennsylvania before South Australian Oscar Chapman and his visiting Auburn Tigers team take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a “whiteout” game on September 18. Picture: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images/AFP

Oscar Chapman has only four opportunities to touch the ball and each time he does there are 110,000 rival fans putting immense pressure on his single kick.

But the Adelaide born-and-raised punter wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m living the dream,” Chapman, 22, says.

The setting is Pennsylvania’s Beaver Stadium – the fourth largest in the world – where Chapman and his Auburn Tigers are travelling earlier this month to face the Penn State Nittany Lions and their raucous supporters in a blockbuster US college football contest.

Adelaide product Oscar Chapman punting for Auburn against LSU in US college football. Picture: Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Chapman in action for South Australia during the U18 AFL Championship match against Vic Metro in 2018 Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

But just a few years earlier the Prince Alfred College graduate and former North Adelaide footballer was weighing up his future.

With his AFL draft dreams all but dashed and a stress fracture in his foot making matters worse, Chapman started on a path which has led him to becoming the starting punter for highly-ranked university Auburn, in Alabama.

“(In 2018) I got a stress fracture in my foot, I couldn’t walk and it put a real question mark over my head,” he said.

“I was 19, 20 years old and was not sure if playing SANFL reserves at North Adelaide was what I wanted to do right now. I needed to change something up.

“Dad heard an ad on the radio for Prokick Australia and it just went from there.”

Chapman had been a part of SA’s triumphant 2018 under-18 national championships side playing with and against the likes of future AFL stars Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine, Sam Walsh and Bailey Smith.

But his call from the top level didn’t come so he took a punt and travelled to Melbourne to take a chance with Prokick, which has helped send a growing list of Australians to the US chasing college football and NFL dreams.

Oscar Chapman pictured at the 2017 AFL state draft combine. Picture: Tom Huntley

Jaquan Brisker of the Penn State Nittany Lions breaks up a pass intended for Demetris Robertson Auburn Tigers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 18. Picture: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Chapman drew interest from power college Auburn and received a scholarship in 2020, coincidently arriving to replace fellow Australian and ex-St Kilda player Arryn Siposs, who had departed for the NFL.

He featured in nine games as a freshman before winning the starting job this season.

Four matches in, Chapman is averaging a solid 44.7 yards on 12 punts.

“I never thought I would leave Adelaide but I flew 20 hours across the other side of the world to play football in Alabama,” he said.

“It’s crazy over here, playing in front of 80 to 100,000 people with everyone just screaming.

“When we played at Penn State it felt like the stadium was vibrating.

“Last year we played with about 25 per cent capacity crowds but now all Covid restrictions have been scrapped and it’s amazing to get that full college football experience.”

Chapman’s Tigers have made a good start to the season with three wins and just one loss, which came against Penn State, and have a string of big games on the schedule against the likes of LSU, Georgia and rival Alabama.

He says achieving the dream of making it to the NFL is also in the back of his mind, but for now he’s focused on doing his job and soaking up as much of the college experience as he can.