Omarion Hampton
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Omarion Hampton is ready for the NFL spotlight.
The Los Angeles Chargers open their 2025 season in the NFL’s second annual Brazil game. Given that their opponent will be the Kansas City Chiefs — the most watched team in the NFL averaging 25.5 million United State viewers per game — the rare Friday night clash, with no other NFL action until Sunday, will put the Chargers under perhaps the most intense spotlight they will see all year.
At the center of it all will be 22-year-old rookie running back Omarion Hampton, taken by Los Angeles in the first round this year, with the 22nd pick overall.
On the afternoon before the opening kickoff in São Paulo, however, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had yet to name his starting running back.
In fact, on Wednesday’s edition of The Rich Eisen Show, Eisen said that Harbaugh had privately leaked to him that Hampton would get the nod over Najee Harris, who signed with Los Angeles in March on a one-year, $9.25 million deal — and who started all 68 games in his four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, running for more than 1,000 yards each season.
Even if Hampton does not get the start, he is certain to handle the ball frequently against the Chiefs in Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense. So who is Omarion Hampton?
He Excelled Academically as Well in Football
A native of Forest City, North Carolina, where he was born on March 16, 2003, Hampton was in middle school when his family moved to Clayton — a town of approximately 31,000 about 46 miles southeast of Chapel Hill where he would later attend the University of North Carolina and forge a standout Tar Heels football career.
He attended Cleveland High School in Clayton where he was a solid student, graduating with a 3.26 grade point average while dominating on the football field.
Hampton rushed for a mind-blowing 5,370 yards in high school with 88 touchdowns.
Omarion Hampton Ranked in the 97th Percentile in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (4.3)
➖Age: 21 (Early Declare)➖Size: 6’0, 220 lbs
Hampton’s Averages over the last 2 Seasons:
➖24 Touches Per Game ➖150.4 Yards Per Game➖1.32 TD’s Per Game
Future Workhorse RB1 in the NFL pic.twitter.com/Dfd8kA8zIi
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) January 29, 2025
He Bought a House With His High School Girlfriend
Hampton has been together with his high school sweetheart Lilly Heder since 2021, his senior year at Cleveland. When the football star went to Chapel Hill for college, Heder went with him, also matriculating at UNC.
While the pair have kept their relationship mostly under the radar, Heder did reveal on her Instagram account they they bought their first home in June, about six weeks after the NFL draft.
The house is located in Los Angeles, though Heder did not specify exactly where in the city. In Heder’s IG post, the house appears to be modest in size and recently constructed.
But a typical two-bedroom house in Los Angeles might sell for anywhere between $600,000 and $1.5 million depending on the location — well within Hampton’s price range after signing his four-year, fully guaranteed $17.7 million contract with the Chargers.
His Parents Fully Supported His Football Career
Hampton’s parents, mother Leslie Hampton and dad Cory Chappell, also keep a low profile, but unlike the parents of many NFL players, neither had a significant background in football.
Nonetheless, both have been fully supportive of their son, who has said, “You guys mean the world to me. I am forever indebted to you for the sacrifices you have made for me and I love you so much. Everything I do, I do for you.”
With their support, Hampton became a 2024 All-American at North Carolina, leading the ACC in rushing yardage in both 2023 (1,504) and 2024 (1,660) as well as touchdowns in 2023 with 15.