Chico McClatcher might be a true sophomore at the University of Washington, but he’s armed with the wisdom and maturity of a fifth-year senior.

Similar to a lot of young adults who are more grown up than their average peer, McClatcher was forced into it due to matters outside his control.

“When I was younger I didn’t really have a stable household,” McClatcher said. “My dad, my mom, they had problems trying to file over who had custody over me, and I was tired of it.”

McClatcher unflinchingly described seeing his mother and father in an unhealthy relationship, constantly battling to tell him different versions of the truth. Eventually, the mother-son bond prevailed, and Kam Warner — who works two jobs and played football professionally — raised McClatcher.

The arrangement put a serious strain on any sort of father-son relationship. In McClatcher’s words, “I didn’t enjoy loving my dad at all.”

Sporting the black and orange of the Federal Way Hawks, then donning the blue and white of Federal Way High School and now clad in the purple and gold of the Huskies, football gave — and continues to give — McClatcher a much-desired escape.

“Football has been my story my whole life. It brought me back to life,” McClatcher said. “Once my mom brought me to football, it gave me a new mindset that, ‘Yeah, this is what I want to do for my whole life.'”

In 2013, McClatcher gained new perspective on what he wanted his future to look like — and who he wanted to be a part of it — when his father suffered a serious stroke that he’s still recovering from.

“I was down when that happened. I had been hating him for all these years, but once he had that stroke, it hit me hard,” McClatcher said. “All I’ve been doing since then is trying to help build a better relationship with my dad, and it’s been going well so far.”

His dad has three other children now — 12, 11 and 8 years old — and McClatcher has fully embraced the role of big brother with his half-siblings, regularly attending their sporting events and visiting them in Tacoma at least twice a week.

“Especially when my dad went through the stroke, I had to make sure they’re on top of their grades, doing the right thing, staying out of trouble,” McClatcher said. “They look up to me.”

As he juggles these relationships, both new and repaired, McClatcher still has football to lean on. He notched 885 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns on 58 touches, primarily being used to return kickoffs — although all of his touchdowns were scored on the ground or through the air — as a true freshman. Those 58 touches, 27 of which came on offensive snaps, should steadily go upward year-by-year, beginning this fall when McClatcher takes over the starting role at slot-receiver.

The Seattle Times and bloggers have spotlighted him a bit leading up to fall practice, which starts Aug. 7, essentially saying McClatcher was one of the stars of the Huskies’ spring camp. Federal Way residents, however, have known for a while that McClatcher is something special, and McClatcher appreciates the love he receives from his community.

“They’ve supported me. I’m just thankful,” McClatcher said. “I’m just trying to represent the city I’ve been playing football in for about 12 years now. I want to keep on going, and keep putting on for Fed.”

The community supports him and he supports back, as McClatcher has gone back to the grass fields of Lakota Middle School — where he formed lifelong friendships with several teammates — numerous times to impart wisdom on the next generation of Federal Way Hawks players.

“I’m just trying to encourage these young kids that you can stay out of trouble and focus on school — that’s the key,” McClatcher said.

If there’s any weight on his shoulders to “do it all,” McClatcher doesn’t show it, even saying he feels things have slowed down for him, especially where he escapes: the football field. Picked by the media to finish second in the Pac-12 North, McClatcher’s poise and level-headedness could be an unexpected lift toward capitalizing on that preseason hype — something McClatcher hasn’t shied away from.

“This is going to be a Rose Bowl year,” McClatcher said.

The Huskies and McClatcher kick off the 2016 season against the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, at Husky Stadium.