Charlie Grant is a captain on San Rafael’s football team with a work ethic and personality that is bringing change to the San Rafael High School Football program. 

He is a 5’10”, 170 pound quarterback with long blond curly hair. Sitting across from him before we started our interview, I noticed that he was in his usual uniform: a football sweatshirt, Nike sweat pants, and his signature slippers.

Charlie, or “Chuck” as he prefers to be called, has been playing football ever since his freshman year. Chuck says he “didn’t really plan on playing quarterback.” In Pop Warner, a recreational football league from 4th to 5th grade, he played receiver.

Chuck is now the starting quarterback, a position he began playing after his very first day of Junior Varsity practice, when his coach asked if anyone wanted to play QB and he said, “Sure, why not?” The coach looked at him and laughed, and then realized he wasn’t joking. Chuck was then asked to throw the ball to the coach, and after he did that, the spot became his.

Grant was moved up to Varsity after his first game sophomore year. And explains that he “had disagreements throughout sophomore and junior year with [his] previous coach Lubamersky.” Because of this he feels he wasn’t as developed under his coaching.

However, now things are much different. Coach Sully describes his relationship with Grant. “It’s a partnership,” says Sully. “It’s not like I’m the boss and Charlie is the employee.”

Grant speaks extremely highly of Coach Sully as well. “The biggest mentor and influence who has developed me as quarterback the most is our new coach Casey Sully. Credit to him,” explains grant. 

Grant explains that Coach Sully “has given us a strong work ethic.” Coach Sully set up practices all summer, doing 7-on-7 passing leagues, which is a smaller, no-contact version of the game. Interestingly though, Coach Sully says a reason for the team’s success this year is Grant’s work ethic. Coach Sully also says “he is someone that embraces adversity.”

Many football players at all levels, from Pop Warner to the NFL, have pre-game routines or superstitions. Grant says that before leaving the locker room before practice, the entire football team will all touch the bulldog chain. He also mentions that he won’t wash his pads or pants after a win, but will wash them after a loss. 

Those who made comments on Grant’s personality and what makes him such a great leader all mentioned his energy. Coach Sully says he is “always looking for opportunities to bring other guys up and complement them when they make a good play, hype them up and not let guys get down on themselves.”

O’marion Beard, a fellow senior and captain on the football team, describes Chuck as someone who “always makes his presence known” and is “always bringing the energy.” Beard has many traits he likes of Grants. However he loves how “he will trash talk a kid that he doesn’t even know and then by the end of the play they will have made up.” 

Cameron Changeux, a fellow senior on the football team, shares his favorite memory of Chuck on the field. He explains that during the Archie Williams game, where San Rafael won 28-17, Grant made a touchdown, and after he scored, he ran over to the Archie Williams student section and did a provocative dance to get a reaction from the students.  

Harrison Pocock, a fellow captain of the football team, says that he enjoys being Grant’s teammate. Pocock says, “My favorite thing about Chuck is his willingness to win.” He describes his memory of last year’s Marin Catholic Game when they were down 35 points and Grant went under center, a term meaning the quarterback receiving the ball directly from the center. Before he said go, he made a joke at the expense of someone on the other team and both sides ended up laughing. 

Grant grew up in a supportive family with close parents and a wonderful bond with his two cousins. Growing up, he was just athletic as he is now, playing football, baseball, rugby, and water polo. Grant has always been playing football, he grew up playing tackle football with his dad in the front yard. His favorite memories of his childhood are going on camping trips and going fishing with his dad’s side of the family. This is where he gets his passion for fishing. 

When Grant is not playing football, he says he spends most of his time fishing with his friends. 

Many people with Grant’s ability would be super inclined to play football at a four year university after high school, but he says that he doesn’t think he would want to go the traditional route of a four year education. He has considered possibly playing for a junior college, but says that he hasn’t decided yet.

His perfect life plan after high school would be to be able to make a living in the fishing industry. He would like to be a charter captain with guides working for him. However he explains that “that’s later down the line.” He even adds that he would consider coaching at San Rafael, but again, not any time soon. 

Anybody in a position that Grant is in is guaranteed to feel nervous with the pressure of the game. Grant says he gets nervous before every game, and also mentions that everyone else on the team feels the same way, including coaches. “Every game you feel like it’s on you and you just have to deal with that pressure,” says Grant. He says that “the feeling of it all are nerves running through your body before the first snap.”

Grant also reveals that San Rafael in the past has had the reputation of being a bad team, and this false assumption benefits the team. 

The Bell Game has been a San Rafael tradition since 1962, bringing collective school spirit and pride to both SR and Terra Linda High School. Last year, for the first time in 18 years, the San Rafael football team beat Terra Linda, 43-6. Grant boasts that Terra Linda should expect the same beat down they got last year. With the help of his team Grant led San Rafael to another win this year with a score of 35-27. 

Charlie Grant is a valuable component to the San Rafael High School’s football team this year. Over this season, he has accumulated 1,375 yards, 13 touchdown passes, 153 yards per game, and 197 completed passes, which lead the team to playoffs for the first time in 11 years.