tʃˈændlɚɹ ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv flˈɔːɹɪdə ɪn ɡˈeɪnzvɪl, flˈɔːɹɪdə, wˌɛɹ hiː dʒˈɔɪnd kˈoʊtʃ stˈiːv spˈɜːɹiɚz flˈɔːɹɪdə ɡˈeɪɾɚz fˈʊtbɔːl pɹˈoʊɡɹæm æz ɐ wˈɔːkˌɔn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən, kˈɪkɪŋ wˈʌn ˈɛkstɹə pˈɔɪnt ænd lˈeɪɾɚ bˌiːɪŋ ɡɹˈæntᵻd ɐ ɹˈɛdʃɜːt fɚðə ɹᵻmˈeɪndɚɹ ʌvðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən sˈiːzən.
Chandler attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he joined coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football program as a walk-on in 1997, kicking one extra point and later being granted a redshirt for the remainder of the 1997 season.