Bison Football Feature: Chad Freshnock

Chad Freshnock takes pride in being a power back. And, during his time at Bucknell, he has made an impact in many facets of the game.

Despite missing his junior campaign to injury, Freshnock enters his final career game with 1,532 yards and 18 touchdowns on 392 career carries. His signature performance came during the Bison's 2017 Homecoming contest against Lehigh; he ran for a career-best 174 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry.

More recently, Freshnock and sophomore Jared Cooper played key roles in Bucknell's 20-10 victory over the Mountain Hawks on Nov. 9. The duo combined for 108 yards on 24 carries, helping the Bison outgain Lehigh by a 305-209 margin. Ten of Freshnock's carries came in the fourth quarter, when Bucknell was in the lead and looking to run out as much of the clock as possible.

Freshnock, who didn't lose a single yard in that contest, said that the Bison's win is proof of how much they've progressed under new head coach Dave Cecchini.

"I couldn't be prouder of how far we've come as a team," Freshnock said. "You could see how much we've grown during that game. Our offensive linemen did a great job in both run blocking and pass protection. The wide receivers made some spectacular catches. The wide receiver threat kept Lehigh from stacking the box, and that helped us run the ball successfully. It was a great team win for our program, and we're looking to continue to build off of it."

And the Bison did just that, earning their second-straight Patriot League victory over Georgetown a week later. Trailing 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, they scored two unanswered touchdowns to prevail, 20-17. Freshnock was instrumental in the comeback, running for 69 of his 92 yards in the fourth quarter and scoring a three-yard rushing touchdown to make it a 17-12 game.

As a senior, Freshnock knows that the younger players look up to him. He said that it's been rewarding to help Cecchini build the foundation for the program's future success.

"Change doesn't happen with a snap of the finger," Freshnock said. "It takes time. It's been awesome being part of the change. Every week, I see the team growing into the program we want to become. It's sad being a senior because I won't be able to be part of it in the future. But it's been great to be part of the first stages of it."

Over the past four seasons, Freshnock has grown into a leader capable of facilitating such change. He said that his participation in the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute helped him refine his leadership style; he also noted that Joey DeFloria, a 2018 graduate, was an influential role model for him.

As a freshman and sophomore, Freshnock split carries with DeFloria, who became the eighth Bison to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season during the 2016 campaign. Freshnock said that he's tried to be a role model for Cooper like DeFloria was for him.

"Joey took me under his wing and led me in the right direction," Freshnock said. "He gave me advice when I needed it, and we always bounced ideas off of each other. Me and Coop have developed that relationship. We always watch each other run and give each other tips on how we can get better."

Freshnock has evolved as a running back as a senior. Because of the aerial nature of Cecchini's offense, he has been utilized more regularly as a blocker than in years past. He's also been targeted more in the passing game; to date, he has already registered a career-high 78 receiving yards.

Freshnock, who had key blocks on Dominic Lyles's 50-yard touchdown catch against Sacred Heart and Brandon Sanders's 16-yard touchdown catch at Lafayette, said that setting up a teammate's touchdown is just as gratifying as finding the end zone himself.

"Because I'm the power back in this offense, the coaches rely on me to make big blocks like that," Freshnock said. "I get just as excited as if I was the one scoring the touchdown. Any way I can help the team succeed and put points on the board makes me happy."

Following graduation, Freshnock will work as a project engineer for Hunter Roberts Construction Group in New York City. He received the job offer after completing an internship with the company this past summer, and he didn't hesitate to take it.

"I like how the work is always different," Freshnock said. "Our office is on the site so I'm not sitting at a desk all day. This summer, I was on a pier. We were working on the caissons, which are basically underwater basements. It was really unique to be down there. Hunter Roberts works on all sorts of projects, like skyscrapers, hospitals and residential buildings. It's definitely a good balance for me."

At Bucknell, Freshnock is a political science major with minors in economics and education. Asked what sparked his interest in construction, he said that he grew up around the field.

"I've always been around construction," Freshnock said. "On Take Your Child to Work Days, I'd always go into New York City with my dad. It was fun being on the construction sites with him so I figured I would try an internship in it. Everything fell into place from there."

Freshnock still can't believe his time as a Bison is coming to a close. While he admitted that Senior Day was bittersweet, he said that it will also be a day he never forgets.

"I've been playing football my whole life," Freshnock said. "I love the sport to death. The fact Senior Day is here is absurd to me. Time flies. People say that all the time, but it's really true. I'm disappointed to say goodbye to the game, but I'm happy with what I've done and how I've contributed to this team."

Bison Bits
1) Favorite Sports Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
2) Dream Vacation Spot: Aruba
3) Childhood Hero: My dad
4) Favorite Spot in Lewisburg: Towne Tavern
5) Three Words to Describe Yourself: Determined, relentless and reliable

This feature originally ran in the program for Bucknell's game against Georgetown on Nov. 16, 2019. It was updated with current statistics to run on BucknellBison.com.

Bucknell University Athletics

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Chad Freshnock

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