Bob Lutz: How Mike Capps became more than a big brother

Mike Capps never cared much for football. Or sports, for that matter.

He dabbled in wrestling when he was a kid, but was more interested in computers, software, gadgets and things like that.

Then he met Chaz – assigned to him through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Sedgwick County – in March 2005. And they hit it off.

“It just clicked,” Mike Capps said.

Chaz loved sports. He was a 7-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan in those days and he couldn’t get enough football.

Mike learned to adapt and their connection became stronger.

Invincible, even.

Mike is Chaz’s father now. He adopted Chaz on July 10, 2006, and hasn’t missed one of his kid’s football games in years.

“It’s something that definitely wasn’t planned,” Mike Capps said. “But it’s something I never questioned, never regretted. But you can’t be in Chaz’s life and not find a way to get into football.”

Chaz Capps – his last name was Coen before the adoption – is a senior quarterback for the West Pioneers. He passed for five touchdowns in West’s first three games and is also a dangerous runner.

“He knows the game as well as anybody in the (City) league,” West coach Weston Schartz said. “He’s an outstanding young man. Never late for workouts, gets good grades, very well liked by his teammates and coaches. The kind you would want your son to be.”

Chaz has never had much of a relationship with his biological father and his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was 6.

“The doctors told her she had four months to live,” he said. “I had to find somewhere else to live because she wasn’t really fit to take care of me.”

His mother called Big Brothers/Big Sisters and got the ball rolling, recognizing how important it was that Chaz have a man in his life. It took a while, but eventually Mike and Chaz were matched.

The cancer for Chaz’s mother is in remission, but she is still battling health issues, Chaz said, and suffered serious injuries in a recent car accident.

“She is strong-willed and we pray a lot,” he said.

Mike, who recently sold his technology company, Cybertron, and now works for the new owners, said he’s trying to cherish Chaz’s senior year and not think too much about sending him off to college.

“That’s going to be a bittersweet experience,” he said. “I can’t say the idea of the empty-nest syndrome isn’t already starting to hit his dad. I had a life before Chaz was here, but I really don’t remember much of that life.”

Mike is a bachelor who has helped out the West football team with meals before games and often buys shoes for some of the players who need them, Schartz said.

“My dad is a really good man,” Chaz said. “Really nice, really considerate and he takes great care of me and has always been there for me. The second time we ever hung out we played on the Xbox. That was a connection right there.”

Chaz (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) is getting college offers to play football, Schartz said. Among the interested schools are Pittsburg State and Central Missouri.

Schartz’s teams have never thrown much – he’s a strong believer in a power running game – and Capps has rushed for four touchdowns.

Would he like to throw the football more than the 18 times he put it up in the first three games?

“No comment,” Chaz said jokingly. “It’s fun to play for Coach Schartz. He’s a good coach. But like any quarterback, I like to throw.”

Chaz still sees his siblings, he said, and spends part of most weekends with his mother. He and his father are with her on holidays and other special occasions.

But Chaz believes he is where he is supposed to be, with the father he never had.

“My mom is completely supportive of this relationship,” he said. “She’s been through a lot and right now she’s focusing on her health issues.”

It’s been slow going, Chaz said, to get his dad up to date on football. They do watch together on Sundays and Chaz likes to push the conversation toward sports when he has a chance.

Graduation isn’t too far off, so Mike feels the need to spend even more time with Chaz while he’s still at home.

“It’s exciting that a new chapter will open for Chaz,” Mike Capps said. “But a little sad, too. He’s still my little boy as far as I’m concerned.”

Chaz said he often thinks about what might have been had not the match with Mike happened.

“It’s hard not to let your mind think about it,” he said. “But I’m just glad I’m in the situation I’m in.

“It was rough at first, thinking your mom was dying and that your real father didn’t want to have anything to do with us kids. But God had a plan and it worked out perfectly.”