CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Wherever he goes in Kentucky, Frank Minnifield gets questions about his son. He gets comments, too.

"I wish Chase was at Kentucky," somebody will say, or "Chase should be at Louisville."

College football fans in the Bluegrass State still rue Chase Minnifield's decision to attend the University of Virginia. And the better he plays for U.Va., the more UK and Louisville followers will ponder what might have been.

He's only three games into his college career, but Minnifield, a 6-0, 192-pound redshirt freshman from Lexington, Ky., has done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of those who believe he's a special talent.

At cornerback, he's had some rough moments, especially in the opener against Southern California. But he already has picked off a pass (and returned it 28 yards against Richmond) and returned a kickoff 56 yards.

"This clearly is an example of the old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He's got the same focus and the same competitiveness as his father. Also, just his sense of the game."

Born to play football: That's Chase Onassis Minnifield.

"They say if you put a basketball in a baby's hands, he's going to play basketball," Chase said. "I always had a football in my hands."

Given his father's background, that's not surprising. Frank starred at Louisville. He then became a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Cleveland Browns, whose assistants in 1992, his final season with the team, included Groh.

The elder Minnifield stands 5-9, and for a long time, he wondered if his son would ever catch him.

"He's probably grown at least about 5 inches over the last four years," Frank said. "When he was on the short end, I was a little skeptical whether he was going to be big enough to play football. He was always tough enough."

At Henry Clay High, Chase also played basketball -- he remains a hard-core UK hoops fan -- but football was his best sport. He punted, kicked and, as needed, played cornerback, wide receiver, running back and quarterback for the Blue Devils.

Chase, who chose U.Va. over Louisville, might have played for Groh as a true freshman if not for the torn ACL he suffered playing basketball as a 12th-grader.

His rehab seemed to last an eternity, but he was 100 percent by spring practice this year and quickly earned a place on the two-deep.

With Ras-I Dowling sidelined by a leg injury, Chase started the Aug. 30 opener against USC. The Trojans, not surprisingly, capitalized on his inexperience several times in their 52-7 romp at Scott Stadium. Afterward, Chase heard the same message from his father and Groh: Don't get discouraged.

"Things happen, and you've got to take them," Chase said. "As a corner, you've got to have a short memory."

Sophomore Mike Parker replaced him in the starting lineup a week later, but Chase played on the Cavaliers' nickel defense, and his fourth-quarter interception helped seal their 16-0 victory over Richmond.

Had Chase wanted to play wideout at U.Va., Groh would have slotted him there. But defense is in Chase's genes. From the time he was 4, his childhood coaches included his father, and Frank has worked endlessly with Chase on technique.

"He came up [to Charlottesville] before camp started, just to help me on my back-pedal and getting out of my breaks," Chase said. "I can't ask for a better dad when it comes to just caring for me."

Chase turned 19 in March but, with his baby face, looks closer to 16. He's soft-spoken and polite. His father couldn't be prouder.

"He's one of those guys who, when things are going well, they're going to go better because of Chase," Frank said. "And when things are going bad, it ain't going to be nearly as bad as you think they're going to be, because of Chase."