Saddleback’s center right guard opens up about his football journey

Charlie Weiler (#72) playing for Saddleback’s football team. Guest | Ryan Hill

Charlie Weiler’s past, present and future football experiences 

After four years of playing on Aliso Niguel’s High School football team, Charlie Weiler is continuing his journey at Saddleback College this year playing center and right guard on the offensive line. 

After taking the W at the team’s final game of the season against San Bernardino Valley College, Weiler opened up about his experience playing football, how it feels to be back on a team since high school and what his plans are after Saddleback. 

The last time he played was his “senior season of high school and an All-Star game in February 2020, then nothing until the summer of 2021,” Weiler says. 

The pandemic has taken a toll on many athletes’ experiences playing their sport and even their original plans after their high school graduations or receiving their AA degrees. However, most of Saddleback’s team continued to practice their craft and maintain their fitness during this prolonged off-season. 

“I worked out four to five days a week with some teammates from my high school who were also going to Saddleback,” Weiler says. As he has been playing football since the eighth grade, Weiler knew that he was not quite ready to give up the sport after graduating high school. 

Although for many college athletes it can become difficult at times to find a balance between practice, games and academics, Weiler can attest that it is possible for anyone to find that balance. 

“It was definitely tough at first–having football every day and getting super tired from that, but then still having to do homework,” Weiler says. “But, I eventually figured out a routine that works well for me.” 

Surely, establishing his routine and being able to maintain his heavy workload was worth it for Weiler after not being on the field for over a year. As the team prepared for their first game this fall against Glendale College, Weiler grew more eager to get back in the swing and kick off the season. 

“It felt really good to get my pads and helmet back on and play real football instead of just doing non-contact drills,” Weiler says. 

As Saddleback’s football team closes out this year’s season, Weiler says “goodbye” to playing football for the time being and prepares for his next journey at USC studying Business Pre-law starting this upcoming spring semester. 

“I have wanted to go to USC my whole life and it’s always been my plan to go there so I’m very excited,” Weiler says.

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