Chad Mott was among the hardest working players to ever wear the Blue and White. Mott was stout as a mule and had the agility of a player half his size. He could dominate the line scrimmage and earned a place in the hearts of Rocket fans when he scored a rare lineman's touchdown against arch rival Caldwell County by recovering a fumble in the end zone. He played from 1985 until 1988, and Mott's career tackle totals still rank among the Top 10 in school history. Mott's determination and hard work paid off in college. After walking on at Murray State, Mott eventually earned a scholarship his freshman year and became a three-time Special Teams MVP as the Racer long snapper. Mott remains active in the Rocket football program as a coach in the Junior Pro league.

Chad Mott 1985-1988
Chad Mott demonstrated the kind of work ethic during his football career which made him one of the toughest two-way linemen to ever put on a Rocket uniform.
While playing fullback and linebacker from the little league level through his freshman year, the 1989 graduate began to find his niche when moved into the trenches.
While only a freshman on the state championship team, Mott still saw some playing time at the varsity level in a reserve role.
“I still feel to this day that was a special group of boys,” said Mott, describing his teammates on that squad.
He also holds the unique distinction of being one of the few Rocket varsity football players to play for three different head coaches – Pat Gates, Gary Crum and Steve Pardue.
While that sometimes takes place when a high school sports program is going through some lean times, it was not the case with Mott as his squads went 32-12 during his prep career.
Playing in an era when the KHSAA playoff format was much more strict, Mott’s teams never went back to the playoffs despite having some really good seasons (7-3 in 1986 and 8-2 in 1988).
“I'm not making the claim that we would have won three state titles if we would have played under the current KHSAA playoff format, but I believe it may have been possible,” said Mott.
While scoring some touchdowns as a fullback in little league and middle school, Mott got his first score as a lineman his junior year in a 48-6 blowout of Ballard Memorial. It happened after teammate Aaron Summers blocked a punt and Mott scooped up the ball and went in from the Bomber 8 yard-line.
“For a lineman to get the opportunity to score, that was a special thrill,” he said.
While the 1987 season ended with a 4-6 record for the Rockets, they lost two games by a mere five points which could have easily given them a winning campaign.
Mott finished that year recording 59 tackles and eager to help his team return to their winning ways in his senior season.
He did just that as the Rockets humbled Caldwell 28-7 in the second game of the season in 1988. Mott had a fabulous outing, recording seven tackles, a sack and a pair of fumble recoveries (the first recovery resulting in another touchdown for him in the end zone after a Ronnie Moss fumble). In fact, some Rocket fans thought the team was so impressive against the Tigers that Mott recalls folks around Marion the next morning already talking about making reservations in Louisville for another Class A state championship game.
Getting off to an 8-0 start, Crittenden was rarely challenged only having two contests decided by one touchdown or less.
Unfortunately, the Rockets lost to Heath in the ninth game 20-6 making the road to the postseason a tougher one.
“I feel that we had a better team than Heath,” he said, recalling the disappointing setback.
With still a shot at the playoffs, the Rockets jumped ahead of host Fulton County in the regular season finale 14-0 in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Pilots came to life, outscoring Crittenden 28-7 the rest of the way to upset the Rockets and ruin any playoff hopes for Mott’s final prep game. He finished the season with 63 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries.
A big guy with quick feet, Mott walked on at Murray State and was later awarded a full scholarship during the second semester of his freshman season. He excelled as a long snapper, winning Special Teams MVP honors his first three seasons.
His senior campaign was hampered by a broken foot he suffered in the third game of the season. The Mott City native also recorded 12 tackles during his career as a Racer from his defensive tackle position.
Mott has stayed active in local football. He coaches the third and fourth graders in the Junior Pro League.