GENEVA – Princeton had always been high on Sean Chambers’ list. Ever since his father played football at the Ivy League school, there had always been a draw for him to go there.

He made that happen.

After attending a camp in late June, Chambers committed to Princeton on Monday, turning down his other offer from Valparaiso University.

“My dad has always been a role model for me,” Chambers said. “He has always pushed me to go there and it’s really been a dream for me also. The coaches loved my athleticism and what I did at the camp, so I’m really thankful and blessed to have this opportunity.”

Chambers’ father, Josh, was an offensive lineman at Princeton and graduated in the Class of 1988.

Josh Chambers said he could not be more proud of what his son has accomplished not just playing football, but also academically.

“We are incredibly proud of how much hard work Sean has put in both on the field and in the classroom,” Josh Chambers said. “We always wanted it to be Sean’s choice, so I think when this opportunity presented itself, it became a no-brainer for him. He always wanted to go to a great school, and you can’t do much better than the No. 1 school in the country.”

Josh said he received messages for most of Monday from people he keeps it contact with from Princeton, saying “how neat” it is for Sean to follow in his father’s footsteps.

After attending camps at Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois and Harvard, the Princeton camp in June was the one that sold Sean, as he committed just a few weeks before his senior high school season.

Although he was recruited as a defensive back, Chambers plans to be the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season.

But he will have his work cut out for him to replace last year’s starting quarterback Daniel Santacaterina’s 2,443 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, which led the Vikings to their first appearance in the Class 7A quarterfinals in six seasons.

But regardless of how the season goes, Sean said defense will be his position come college.

“I’ve always kind of had defense in my blood,” Sean Chambers said. “I had the opportunity to be the backup QB last year behind a great teacher and mentor in [Daniel Santacaterina]. I should still play some safety position this year, so I’m excited for the opportunity to play both ways.”

Sean, who said he’s thinking about studying engineering at the Ivy League university, said committing to Princeton for football allowed him to go into one of the best academic schools in the country.

But now that his recruitment process has come to an end, Chambers said he is excited to get his final high school season underway and help Geneva football be successful this year.

After losing four members of the 2014 Kane County Chronicle All-Area First Team in Santacaterina, Pace Temple, Matt Loberg and Brock Perry to graduation, the Vikings have had Chambers and other experienced varsity players to step up and lead the team this offseason.

“The returning players have really set the tone and are proving themselves as mentors to the younger guys,” Sean Chambers said. “They see us work hard, and it makes them want to push themselves that much more. We have been working our tails off this summer and have had improvement from guys on both sides of the ball.”

The 6-foot-3 Chambers also said he plans to return to the basketball court for Geneva this season after being part of a team that made a trip to the Class 4A state tournament last season.