Chase Forrest didn't have to stay. The fifth-year senior quarterback could have prematurely bid farewell to the California football team, transferred to another program and been a starter in his final collegiate season.
 
But quitting isn't his style.
 
Forrest is committed to his Cal team and the culture that head coach Justin Wilcox has instilled in the program. Despite never starting a game in his five-year career, Forrest is always in good spirts and takes his role of being a good teammate and veteran leader seriously.
 
Forrest weighed the pros and cons about whether or not to stay last spring, but he didn't want to ditch his teammates or his coaches.
 
"I told the players and the coaches that what we have here is special and I want to be a part of this," he said. "I pride myself in the fact that I didn't transfer. I pride myself in sticking with what I know. Everything happens for a reason. I've had so much fun this season with helping out Chase (Garbers) and B-Mac (Brandon McIlwain) and learning from Tui (Marques Tuiasosopo)."


 
Garbers said he and the other quarterbacks refer to Forrest as "Dad" or "Gramps" jokingly because of how long he's been with the program, but in all seriousness, Garbers was really happy to hear Forrest wasn't going to transfer for his final season.
 
"It meant a lot," Garbers said. "We all love Chase. It would have been tough if he left us. I've grown a lot with Chase. He's awesome to have in the room because of all the experience he has since he's been here so long with different systems. He's a great teammate."
 
Forrest is one of two Power 5-conference senior quarterbacks who have neither started a college football game nor transferred.
 
As Forrest put it, his tenure at Cal has been a wild ride. Arriving in 2014, Forrest initially settled in as the backup to future NFL quarterback Jared Goff. Forrest enjoyed playing behind Goff, learning a lot about the position from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
 
After Goff's departure, the door opened for Forrest to take over as the starter. But then Davis Webb arrived in Berkeley. A graduate transfer from Texas Tech, Webb came in and won the starting job during training camp in 2016.
 
Following Webb's one-year stint as Cal quarterback in 2016, the opportunity presented itself again for Forrest to be the starting quarterback for the Bears. However, Ross Bowers was tabbed the starter over Forrest prior to the 2017 season.

Those close to Forrest would not have blamed him if he voiced frustration or wanted to leave, but as Wilcox has learned during the two seasons he's gotten to know Forrest, that's not how he operates.
 
"The more I'm around Chase the more I'm really impressed with him as a person," Wilcox said. "He's been in a tough spot because he was in a position to be the starting quarterback here and it didn't quite go his way. When things like that happen, it can be tough, especially at that position because you can't even get on the field for special teams or anything like that. But his attitude towards our team and what we're doing here has been unbelievable. It really speaks to his character and what he's all about as a person."
 
Even before coming to Cal, being in quarterback competitions was nothing new to Forrest. While at Mater Dei High School, his squad underachieved during his sophomore campaign, and the program looked to regroup. He eventually became the starting quarterback halfway through the following season and wound up leading his team to back-to-back Southern Section Pac-5 Championship games.
 
The experience of being a gracious winner when he earned the job in high school coincidentally prepared Forrest when he found himself on the other side of those decisions at Cal.
 
"At Mater Dei, they taught us team first and that whole brotherhood dynamic of not letting your teammates down," Forrest said. "Everything about what a winning program is all about they really instilled in me. So leaving and giving up on this team was not my M.O. Having that team-first mentality has definitely helped, as well as being patient with my time. You can't have everything go your way all the time. You just have to stick with it and work hard. Things will eventually go your way."
 
Make no mistake about it, though, although Forrest isn't under center during games for the Bears, he's an impactful leader in the locker room who has gained the utmost respect from his teammates and coaches.
 
Forrest believes the experience gained from the adversity he's dealt with at Cal will make him stronger in the future. In the meantime, he wants to win and enjoy the ride of his final collegiate season.
 
"I went into this year thinking, 'Have fun with your best friends and in a culture that you helped cultivate and lead,'" Forrest said. "I'm used to the sideline role now, to be honest. Leaving just didn't sound fun. I wanted to finish my education here, too."


 
Tuiasosopo said Forrest embodies what successful college football programs are all about.
 
"Chase is a coaches' dream," he said. "He's a great young man. He loves being here. He works every day to get better. He doesn't let anything hold him back. He has the same great attitude every day. It's been a joy to coach him. I really like him as a person. I value our relationship and I think it will go on past his graduation. He's an outstanding young man."


 
Proof of Forrest's leadership capabilities came into fruition when he was selected as a game captain for the UCLA game earlier this year.
 
Addison Ooms, one of Forrest's good friends going back to their days at Mater Dei and somebody Forrest confided in when making his decision to stay, noticed how none of the younger players were surprised when Forrest was named a game captain despite the fact he spends the games on the sidelines.
 
"Chase's voice is heard on this team," Ooms said. "People respect Chase. If Chase says something, people are going to listen because they know what type of guy he is and his situation. They know he could have left and played but he stayed because he wants to help this team succeed. Everyone respects him. Chase is incredibly important to this team. It would be a loss if he wasn't here."


 
Ooms added that going through the pregame Senior Day ceremony prior to the Colorado game this Saturday would not be the same if Forrest had transferred.
 
As for Forrest, though his time at Cal is coming to an end soon, his days of playing football are not over as far as he's concerned. He plans on extending his career. He loves the game of football and wants to play for as long as possible.
 
For a player who hasn't accrued many stats during his collegiate career, the Cal football program would be lucky to find another player like Forrest in the future.