You guys, I want to welcome you to empower you podcast.
We've got Charlie Warner of the San Francisco 49ers with us today and we're really excited
to have Charlie.
Charlie, thanks for making time for this podcast, bro.
Yeah, no problem at all.
It's always a pleasure to come speak and definitely excited to talk about some stuff.
So Charlie, what we do with the podcast, and I've done it with Jake, I've done it with
Coach Rick, is we're looking for, you know, podcasts where believers are making an impact
in an area of life that is touching others.
You know, I think most of the time when you see podcasts and things like that, it's kind
of like people who are professional speakers or professional pastors or something like
that.
And what I'm looking for more in the podcast we do with empower you is people who are taking
their faith into an arena.
And yours is a very unique arena because you're in the NFL.
And I know there's a lot of believers in the NFL, but you're a young guy.
And what makes you unique to me is that David knew you, my brother, and then you started
a relationship with him.
So I've watched, at least from a distance, you know, me being in Colorado and you and
David being in Athens.
But tell me a little bit about how, you know, you got discipled in your faith during college
at University of Georgia.
Yeah, what a great question, because, you know, I was, I guess a quick testimony real
quick, because I'm the typical Southern, you know, kid raised in church, you know,
my family, you know, we always went to church and everything, but I was saved as like a
nine-year-old.
But then come to high school, I really, really came to find out I wasn't a believer.
So I gave my life to the Lord senior year of high school, about two months before I
got to Georgia.
And I can remember going to my first service at Living Hope, and I was meeting David after
the service.
And I was like, Hey, man, I just got saved three months ago.
Like I'm, you know, I need to, I was just excited, you know what I mean?
So it was huge when I got to Georgia, it's just so evident how God had me there for a
reason.
Like just in my tight end room alone, I had three just solid believers that were older
than me.
So my whole freshman year was awesome being with those guys.
Even my, even my tight end coach at the time, Shane Beamer, who's now the head coach in
South Carolina, he was a big time believer.
So I just had such a good tight end room and we had such a good accountability group.
And then going to just to go into Living Hope with David was just huge because he made,
he always kept you on the edge of your seat and kind of uncomfortable compared to how
I was raised, you know, sitting in the same pew, you know, every Sunday, kind of doing
your, you know, same thing all the time.
But man, it was just, it was cool to look back and see how just, you know, God is just
sovereign.
And he had me at University of Georgia for such a specific reason, I just, that freshman
year was huge.
And then, you know, you mentioned Jake earlier, he got there after the season because he early
enrolled.
And so me and him hit it off and we became roommates and we started our journey together
too growing.
So, so did you, did you know, did you know Jake before Georgia?
We didn't really know, know each other.
We had met at a spring game and then a couple of other maybe recruiting things, I can't
quite remember.
But he was early enrolling, you know, out of high school and I was already there.
And it was like him and three other dudes or four other dudes.
And they, you know, you have to live on campus for two or a year and a half.
And so he just, he asked to room with me and I was rooming with some, some specialist guys.
So I was, I was, I was open to switching and rooming with him.
So we didn't really know, know each other, but we had talked a few times.
Was it, was it kind of your faith or was it the fact that tied in quarterback?
What, what was it that kind of drew you guys to being good friends?
It was definitely God.
It was definitely God's creation.
It was, because the first thing we ever talked about was hunting.
I think we were talking about turkey hunting actually at a spring game.
Oh, hunting.
Okay.
That makes sense.
But yeah, we were talking about hunting and fishing and stuff.
And yeah, I guess he, you know, he, he wanted to agree with someone like minded and he knew
I'm pretty sure knew as a believer, I guess.
And so yeah, it was, it was good.
It was good for both of us.
And then, you know, we're, we're still best friends to this day and, you know, talking
and he lives pretty close to me.
So, well, I was just in Texas, Charlie, I'm on a pig hunt and they, they came up to me.
It was a bunch of pastors and, and the guy who's kind of the, the organizer of the event
said,
man, you want to get a turkey? And I said, Sure, man. And he
said, Well, I'm a pretty good caller. I said, All right. So he
took me out to this ranch. And we saw three big toms under this
tree, about 100 yards away. So then we sat up on this dirt
road. And I got up under a dead tree. And man, we called in this
massive night nine and a half inch beard, bro. Oh, nice. Nine
and a half inch beard and then probably about an inch and three
quarters. What do you call it? Spurs? Spur? Yeah. Yeah. I've
killed. I know. I know. It's like crazy. And I don't. I've
shot one other, like maybe about a six and a half inch beard.
Turkey. Were you in South Texas? Yes. It was a Rio. It was a Rio.
Right. So I didn't know. I didn't even know what I was
doing, bro. I mean, I'm a big hunter. But oh, really? Yeah, I
shot it out. They back in like the 60s. They transplanted some
Rios out to out here in California. And so they're
everywhere now. Yeah, I got to shoot my first Rio. Yeah. So I
shot a Rio down in Fountain Creek outside Colorado Springs
about 12 years ago. And that was a pretty good size one for here.
But you don't have, you don't have nearly the spur, because
the ground in Colorado is so hard. So you don't get long
spurs. So you kind of judge it by the beard. But in Texas,
which is soft ground territory. Everybody just looks at the
spur. So I was looking at the beard, I brought it in all these
guys that are all guides. There's a bunch of guides there
that hadn't gotten anything. And I just lucked out and got this
thing. But anyway, he called it in that things like, bro, that's
like five yards from me. Five yards away. Was your heart
beating out of your eyeballs? Well, I didn't have time to even
get nervous. Because it happened so fast. I mean, he goes, he
makes that call. And then the things like right on top of me.
And then it's so I don't think it saw me as much as it saw the
decoy. And it knew it was fake. So boom, it just takes off down
the road. And then I just popped it right there. It was nice. It
was fun. No, but I'm so it was kind of that common interest and
stuff that got you guys together. How significant was in
those years at Georgia? How significant was that? Both the
church and Jake and probably other believers in your growth?
And how did that keep you focused? Because I mean, I was I
was at Georgia, I was a full scholarship athlete at Georgia
to and I'm sure the temptations haven't changed any. But I needed
Campus Crusade for Christ, which is called crew now. That was sort
of mine wasn't FCA or anything like that. It was Campus Crusade
that really helped me. But how did that foster you in your time
there?
Oh, I mean, it was it was everything. It's it's kind of
back to what I said again earlier. I mean, it's just crazy
how God just is sovereign and ordained all that. I mean, just
with the great friends with Jake with the church, and even he he
put he put my wife into my life very early. I mean, right after
my right after my freshman season, we me and Sydney at the
time, we had just started talking. And I mean, we, we
started dating right after my freshman season, and she was a
strong believer. And so just the fact that she she got into my
life to edit that, you know, pretty quick to was huge. As
just so important, you know, for to, to be with other believers
to grow with them to be held accountable. And I think that's
one thing I definitely took for granted was just having that
true accountability almost almost daily, because you're
with these guys in a tight end meeting room, or when you go
home, you know, me and Jake in the dorm room or whatever. It
was every day, you know, I mean, we're talking about something.
And so it's huge. And I definitely it's harder to get
that, you know, in the NFL, and just in your day to day life
compared to how easy it is always being around guys like
that every day. Yeah, I mean, that was that was everything all
the people that were around me. And it's a big testament to them
and, and being in church every Sunday.
So Charlie, let's just before we move into the NFL, let's just
stay where we're at on the college scene. If someone's a
young person, they're in high school, they're in college,
they're watching this interview, what would you say are the
three most important things to stay strong in your faith during
high school and college?
For number one, to be honest with you is stay in church
because I feel like so many believers, even that I still
knew it at Georgia, used being away from their parents being
away from their grandparents.
or whoever was their kind of leader of going to church,
they see going away and having some freedom.
And some of these kids,
they wouldn't darken the door of a church
until they went home for Easter or Christmas.
You know what I mean?
They became a Christmas Easter Christian.
You know what I mean?
And so, I mean, I feel like that's huge,
just staying connected in the body of Christ.
You know what I mean?
Being around older people who are wiser than you,
being around, even being around younger kids.
You know what I mean?
Like the youth, the high school, the middle school.
I think that's huge.
So staying in church, I think surrounding yourself,
finding good people, because like you said earlier,
there's plenty of bad temptations in high school
and in college, they're everywhere.
It's easy to go find all the worldly sin,
but surrounding yourself with good friends,
dating people who are like-minded as you in their faith,
that definitely is number two.
And number three, I would probably just say,
I feel like you have so much,
even though you play sports in college,
like as you did and I did, you're very busy.
You're a lot busier than a person who's just taking classes.
But once you get out of college and hit the real world,
you have a lot less time on your hands.
So I feel like getting consistent and being in the word
in college and your time in college is huge.
And I feel like I took advantage of that at times,
and also I'd lose my way.
And then I look back on that month,
I'm like, what was I doing?
And I mean, even now I look back on college,
I have a nine month baby boy now too.
And I'm like, I have no time now
compared to how much time I had in college.
Like I wish I'd have gotten in the word
even more back then.
So it's like just being in the world at times.
You just end up wasting so much time in college too.
So Charlie, how long have you and Sydney been married?
So we got married right after,
she was a year older than me.
She graduated and did a year in grad school.
But we got married 2020 during COVID.
So this June, it'll be three years.
Nice, and you got a nine month old.
Yeah, Henry's nine, he's almost 10 months.
That's great.
Okay, so now were you expecting to get drafted?
I mean, was that a shock to you?
Or are you sort of expecting?
I mean, I think everybody coming out of college
has different expectations about the draft.
And how many times we know guys
that were big stars in college
and they draft really late
or they don't get drafted at all.
And then guys that maybe weren't like superstars in college
do get drafted.
So where were you at on the spectrum of expectation?
Well, to tell you,
I had one touchdown in my time at Georgia.
And it was the last regular season game
against Georgia Tech.
To be honest with you,
I didn't think I was gonna get drafted.
One touchdown, all I did was block as a tight end,
which there's a lot of value to that,
but not as much as going to catch balls
because that's all the NFL does,
man, we just throw all the time.
But I knew from talking to my agent,
just talking to folks,
I knew I always had a chance to get drafted
in the sixth or seventh round.
And I can remember sitting there on draft day,
still not expecting it,
but kind of hopefully sitting there on the couch
thinking it might happen.
And sure enough, I think it was pick 190 in the sixth round.
I got a phone call and,
well, the whole phone call thing was a fiasco,
but it's my phone wasn't working
and we don't have service where we live,
so it was a fiasco.
But yeah, I got drafted.
It was like a shock,
but it was also like there was a small chance.
So I didn't have very high expectations
because I didn't have very many stats or anything,
but it was a blessing to get drafted.
So it was awesome.
It was an awesome day.
So you go to camp
and you start practicing with the team.
Tell me about your faith during that time
because you had to have had a lot of,
maybe the word's not nervousness,
but maybe some questioning
as to whether this is gonna all work out or not.
How did you trust God during that time?
Yeah, that was a lot going on.
I'm sure that was a lot going on for you
and trusting in God too,
because that was COVID, that was,
I mean, gosh, the whole world was flipped upside down.
It's already hard enough going in as a rookie
and figuring it out,
but I'm going in there as a rookie with no spring ball
because spring ball was canceled.
We had no preseason games either.
Usually there's three.
three or four preseason games each year. And so usually there's like 20 to 30 practices until cut
day. I go in there, we have 14 practices until cuts. So it was a complete 180. And I mean, and
out here in California with COVID, it was nuts, man, waking up every day getting tested every
single day. It was wild. So that alone was like, you had to put so much trust in the Lord of like,
all right, you got me, because me and Sydney just got married. I was like, you got us 2500
miles away from everybody we know, trying to make this team in 14 days. I mean, so it was a lot. And
just, I think, having my faith in the Lord, and to be honest with you, the fact that I was married
and had my, you know, I had my best friend by my side to, to handle all that was huge. Because
without, without the Lord, without Sydney, I could handle all that going on right now.
Were you like, were you like on the phone with Sydney every night? Like when you come,
come back? Man, I'd come back. And I'd come back and I'd be like, honey,
don't even look for an apartment out here. I'm gonna get cut. I was so torn up, man,
I had one bad practice and I'm like, I'm done. They're gonna cut me on my career is over.
I was nervous, man. What are your chances when you've been drafted that late?
Like when you get drafted first round through fifth round, you got a pretty good chance. But
when you're drafted like sixth and seventh, you're, you're almost like an undrafted guy.
So your chances get a lot more high of getting cut. So,
so how many tight end, how many tight ends were you competing with to make the team?
We had, uh, yeah, we, I mean, you go into training camp with six or seven tight ends
and usually only three or four make the active 53 man roster. So I was competing against,
you know, five to six other dudes, but, but two or three of those usually are like a guaranteed
lock. You know what I mean? You're, you're high paid dude, you know, which was George,
George Kittle. And then you two other guys that have been there forever. So it's,
it's tough man to make a team. Golly. Well, so, so then you made the team and you were obviously so
excited. I'm sure about that. What, what was the atmosphere spiritually, um, for you? Um,
you're a rookie, so you have no equity, zero equity on the team. Nobody hardly knows you,
but you do have a faith in Christ. Uh, were there other guys on the team that were helpful to you
spiritually? Uh, man, I'm not gonna lie. There was, I would say in the last, my last three,
I'm going into my fourth year, my last three years, there's been a few, there's been a few guys
off and on who are believers. Um, but as far as I can say, and when I mean off and on, I literally
mean like a guy comes in who I've known and he gets cut after five weeks, you know what I mean?
Then he might come back again. Um, it's been pretty off and on as far as, as believers. And
it's been, it's been tough, you know, and I've been having to put a lot of, a lot more trust in
the Lord. It's like, all right, why, why am I out here? You know, it's, it's, it definitely gets
really hard at times cause there's not as much, um, you know, there's just not as much conversation
about the Lord happening every day. So let me just ask you this, Charlie, what do you think about
that as far as making the team every year? How do you process that in your heart so that you don't
just become a, I don't know, a basket case is probably a little extreme, but just worry, worry
yourself to death, man. How do you trust God with that? Um, it just took time. It just took trust
in the Lord because it's not like any other job, you know, where you kind of have at least some
job security for a year or two. I don't know how the regular business world works down there,
but I know you have job security for at least a little while, but here it's every day is judged
instantly on film. So, I mean, I've seen guys get cut after a bad Friday or even like a bad game.
So it's a, it's a lot, man. And just, you just, I don't know how guys don't, if they're the guys
who aren't believers, I don't know how they'd handle it because for me as a believer in Christ,
I'm like, I just put all my trust in him at this point. So how does that, you got a baby now,
right? So, so you've got a family. Um, so this is really good that you're processing that in a way
where you're not bringing that home all the time to your wife and family. Yeah, man, you got to
leave it outside the door, you know, before, before I go home, I try to leave it, leave it
here at the, at work. Or, I mean, there is something to obviously still processing and
talking to your wife, but for the most part, I try to leave, leave the most of it here,
you know, at work and go home and be present for my wife and son and get her energy because,
you know, we live 2,500 miles away from anyone we know. And so she's been.
Basically a single mom all week, you know, I'm at work and so I come home try to give it my all for them
And then and then it's still important for me and didn't talk about things what I'm dealing with at work or what she's been doing
So but yeah, you got to process it and separate the two so and people don't see that
I mean they see the guy on TV
They see being a pro football player in the NFL and I'm sure that hardly anybody thinks about the kind of pressure
That the family is under with you being gone all the time. Oh, yeah. I mean for a quick example
I'm over last May. I had two surgeries within ten days May 1st and then May 10th and
We had just bought a house two months earlier in March
Two three months earlier and you know, I had those two surgeries
Most guys don't have surgeries three months before a month of August. Most guys have their surgeries in February
So I was sitting there, you know middle May rehab and I'm just like what am I doing man?
Like I had said two surgeries bought a house
So now I have a mortgage and I'm like, I'm about to not make this team because I'm about to be, you know
Hardly be able to do anything
But fortunately enough, I was you know, thank thank the Lord. I still made the team and didn't miss a game all season
So, but I remember being so stressed out about that Charlie you must be pretty fast because you're on special teams, aren't you?
Also, I'm on all four special teams now
I mean if you're not the you're not the start
You're not the starter. You got to be on social teams and at least two and I'm on all four
So yeah, I'm decently fast not crazy. It's just social teams is all want to to be honest with you
It's all kind of just grit and want to one last question that I have for you has been around
Your witness as a Christian on the team
Obviously, you don't have nearly the equity that the veterans have your you've been around for three years
But what have you tried to do to be a witness for Christ?
They're on the team biggest thing any Christian can do
You probably agree. It's just it just be
Just be walking for more daily, you know live like let them see your marriage let them see your life
Let them see how you live your life
And so that's definitely the biggest thing and that comes out in my conversation with teammates what I think about, you know
what I think about
pornography when that's talked about what I think about marriage when that's talked about, you know, what I think about I
Don't know money and how I treat my money
You know like that that got like my relationship with Christ comes out and a lot of those just simple kind of conversations day-to-day
as far as like
other things I guess
We never like the first two years here again kovat. The whole first year was kind of a wash and you couldn't do anything
Like get the getting together and it was even tough the second year
But last year we tried to get a little Bible study going and then we have a really good team chaplain here
So we kind of got something going and then I remember I gave
The more than a carpenter book and everyone's everyone's locker and so still haven't seen any fruit from that
But you know, you never know one day that maybe that seed will do something
But it definitely has been tough
Yeah, actually it but and I definitely I definitely question God to be honest with you a lot
Sometimes like why am I out here, you know, and I know I know he wouldn't put me in a
Kind of a devoid area. He didn't trust me and I could handle myself and
Try to be a light for him. So I just I continue to put my trust in him and hopefully some of the seeds will start
you know producing
so you bought like
50 60 copies and more than a carpenter and you put those in everybody's locker
Did you sign them or something like that? Or what did you do? No, I mean the chaplain was our idea
So we got him put him in there. I didn't put my name. I didn't sign him or nothing
and put it over a blocker and
The couple guys were like what the heck all these come from like at, Georgia like, you know
Most guys are coming there, you know, most of them are from the South
Most of them are being told from their grandma or mom or whatever. Hey
Son you better stay in the word be in church, you know
So but most guys are one step away at college and they get through a cell and they're two to three steps away from family
So it gets they get in the way, you know
But I have had some good teammates here and there. I think I him that
earlier
They've been some good teammates in and out that have been really solid
I've learned a lot from that have been good mentors to me
But again, it's such a transient job that some of the guys come and go seems like your chaplains key
And given some kind of spiritual input to the guys. Yeah, a lot of the guys that he's been around
He's been the chaplain here since
Man, I think the glory days back in the 80s. He's been around for a while
And so even like when old players come back, they're always say hey, what's up?
He was the head chaplain at San Quentin for like 30 years, too.
What?
San Quentin?
Oh, yeah.
He's got a wild ministry up there, too.
I actually went up to San Quentin, a group of us did, last season.
It was pretty powerful, you know, to go up there and see a bunch of dudes that have been
in there for 30 years.
Some guys were lifers, you know.
It was pretty wild.
That's crazy.
Isaac has a ministry in prisons and stuff, and it's called God Behind Bars, and he's
done stuff.
He just had a couple, he had a pro football player recently.
It was in Florida, I believe, and that went really, really well.
That's an area where I could see you guys having quite a ministry, is in the prisons
and stuff, because these guys, they really look up to you guys, and they really appreciate
who you are, and for you to take the time to come and see them means a lot to them.
I remember walking in there, you're dead on.
They love, that's what those guys look forward to, is watching the Niners, or the Warriors
out here, you know.
They're like, oh, Charlie Mann, like no one, to be honest with you, most Niners fans don't
know who I am.
But these guys are like, oh, man, you're out there laying folks out on kickoff, you
know.
I'm like, what?
Like, you watch me on special teams?
Thanks, man.
Well, Charlie, thanks for your time, man.
I just really appreciate it, and it just really seems like that you're walking that line between
a world that can be pretty narcissistic, and trying to be a witness for Christ in a powerful
way.
You know, I've just been, I don't want to say doing my best, I've just been trusting
the Lord, and thankfully, he's put such good people around me, and I have awesome, you
know, one of the best wives I could ever ask for, and she's my best friend in Sydney, and
then she's having a lot of good people I always can lean back on, back home, and a big one
of those is your brother.
And so, yeah, I've been really blessed with everything, from what I talked about earlier,
from freshman year in college, all the way to now, it's just great for him to come back
here.
Exciting.
This has just been great, and I think there's going to be a lot of people that are in different
kinds of arenas, maybe not exactly like yours, of course, but just some of the stuff you
said I think was just so perfect for where a lot of us are, a lot of worries that we
have, a lot of struggles that we have in our own ways, where we feel alone, maybe isolated.
It seems like you've been able to navigate that really well.
Yeah.
It's been a navigation, to be honest with you, because I can remember times, you know,
it was really hard, and I think it was just such a blessing, you know, that me and Sydney,
we had just got married and then came out here to be all alone, and then even more alone
through COVID out here, because this was a lot different than anywhere else out here.
I mean, it was just me and her, so it was a blessing for us to just grow together in
our marriage, you know, and that really hard six months out here, just completely alone.
So definitely, it's a blessing to be alone too, you know, it was just a special time
in our marriage, just me and her, you know, so it was fun, but it was also, it got old
near the end of it, you want to start seeing people, you know.
Man, you're bringing back all kinds of memories.
I can't even imagine what it was like for you, because in Colorado Springs, it wasn't
nearly as bad as other places, but the Bay Area, just because it was in California too,
that was so bad.
Oh, I mean, it's sad.
It just got ridiculous though.
I mean, you had more people commit suicide than die of COVID out here.
That's exactly right.
Come on, let's open the doors up.
Let's just, you know, like what's actually killing people?
It's drugs on the streets and suicide.
It's not COVID.
Well, it drew you guys together though, in a special way, I think.
Yeah, no, it did.
It was just me and her.
You know, I think that's so good for a marriage, for people who get married and live in their
hometowns together, nothing wrong with that too, but people who get married and kind of
move away for a little bit, kind of, you know, be each other without their histories and
their families.
I think that's really good too, so.
Well, can I pray for you?
Well, let's pray.
Father, I want to just thank you for Charlie and Sydney, and I want to just bless their
little child too, and God, I thank you for this time with him.
I thank you for his family.
Lord, I pray an anointing.
I pray the power of your Holy Spirit upon him.
I pray that, God, you would open doors for him that no man can shut.
He would shut doors that no man can open.
That Lord, we just pray your kingdom come, your will be done over the whole 49ers team,
that Charlie would know the right way to be a great teammate.
courageous witness for you and also someone that people can come to if they
need something and they're struggling so I just bless him Lord and I thank you
that you sovereignly put him in this position you sovereignly placed him in a
in a place where there's not and probably enough light and I just thank
you that he's a light and he's a he's a shining light in some dark places so I
just bless him Lord and thank you for him and I pray that Charlie would
continue to just trust you with his future with tryouts coming up in the
fall and be a very present very involved dad and husband so just strengthen Lord
through and through the deepest places of his heart thank you for Charlie in
your name we pray amen man thanks dude