The grandson of legendary football coach Gene Stallings, who coached Dabo Swinney at Alabama, J.C. Chalk first met Swinney in the third grade when he was at a reunion for the 1992 Alabama national championship team.

Fourteen years later, in his first year at Clemson, Chalk collected a national championship ring of his own after Swinney led the Tigers to their first national title since 1981.

Chalk, a former four-star prospect from Argyle, Texas, redshirted the 2016-17 season and told The Clemson Insider he is really happy with how his redshirt year went.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Chalk said at Clemson’s media day before the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State in December. “I’ve been able to learn a lot and just continue to mature football-wise.”

Chalk has been around success or experienced it himself his whole life.

As a tight end at Argyle High, Chalk played in three Texas Division 4A-1 state championship games, winning one as a sophomore. Also a standout basketball player, he helped Argyle win a state title on the hardwood during his junior year.

Individually, Chalk caught 91 passes for 1,031 yards and 14 touchdowns in his football career. He was a unanimous first-team all-district choice as a junior and senior, and participated in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in California as a senior after recording 48 receptions for 545 yards and seven scores.

Chalk feels he improved in the mental aspect of his game last season as he learned from tight ends coach Danny Pearman and offensive graduate assistant and former Clemson tight end Durrell Barry.

He also benefited from the JV portion of Clemson’s bowl practices, when the redshirts received a lot of meaningful reps.

“It was fun to be able to be around the coaches a little bit more, and be able to have them focus on all of the people that are redshirting,” Chalk said of the JV sessions. “Just for them to be able to coach us a little bit more was really fun, and it was a good opportunity to get a lot of experience.”

“We were able to get a lot of reps, just running through plays and going through drills with coach Pearman,” he added. “And I’ve been working on my technique a lot because coming from high school, it’s just a totally different level. You have to be able to use your technique to dominate the player in front of you.”

What was the message to Chalk from Clemson’s coaches during the season?

“Just continue to work hard each day and get better and better,” he said, “and be ready to do as much as you can in the spring.”

The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder is a strong run-blocker, having played in a run-heavy spread offense in high school. He won’t wow with his speed, but he’s a solid route-runner who is skilled at picking up yards after the catch.

Chalk is versatile, too, capable of lining up in the slot or in the backfield, and he thinks he can create mismatch problems for defenses.

“I feel like I’m fast enough to be able to get around linebackers, and I feel like I’m big enough to be able to handle safeties,” he said.

Looking forward to next season, Chalk said he simply hopes to carve out any role he can to help the Tigers win.

“Just to be able to get out there and contribute in any way would be a plus for me,” Chalk said. “I’m just willing to do whatever the team needs.”