By Will Chamblee | Sports Writer
“Elite competitor” and “winner” were the words that former Baylor football coach Matt Rhule used to describe Charlie Brewer upon entering the 2019 season.
“I think he’s going to be one of the great players in the conference,” Rhule said.
The senior quarterback from Austin lived up to those expectations and has been a constant presence for the Bears the last four years, starting 30 of the last 31 games for Baylor.
However, this season Baylor needs Brewer to be more than just an elite competitor and winner. As the Bears transition to a new coaching staff and playbook, Brewer’s presence might need to be more of a factor if they want to match last season’s success.
According to Larry Fedora, Baylor’s new offensive coordinator, Brewer has stepped up to the challenge. During a recent press conference, Fedora called Brewer “a heck of a leader.”
“He cares about his team, he cares about his teammates, he does not want to let anybody down,” Fedora said. “He’s not a yeller or screamer, that’s not the way he leads. He’s not real vocal in what he does, but he’s got great respect from his teammates, and I would say he’s a winner is what he is.”
Head coach Dave Aranda has also been impressed with Brewer’s leadership, commenting on his growth as a leader in a press conference.
“Charlie Brewer, from the moment I met him until now, has just been a steady progression of growing into a leader and really getting comfortable with who he is and how he goes about things,” Aranda said. “I’m so proud of him.”
Brewer said he was mainly happy that football would be happening this fall, as the Big 12 announced the football schedule which consists of nine conference games and one non-conference game.
“We’re obviously very excited that we’re going to be able to play football this fall,” Brewer said. “Now we can kind of take a deep breath and get ready for the first game.”
Last season Brewer threw for 3,161 yards and 21 touchdowns while helping Baylor earn a berth in the Sugar Bowl. Fedora said he is confident that Brewer can hit those numbers again and has been impressed by Brewer’s dedication to learning the new offense.
“Football is extremely important to him,” Fedora said. “He is concerned about every detail of what we’re doing and why we’re doing and what other guys are doing within the concept and why, so that he has a good grasp of it.”
Brewer acknowledged the similarities between the offense he ran in high school and Fedora’s offense and how it helped him adapt quickly.
“We’re going to play with a lot of tempo,” Brewer said. “We’re going to play fast. The ball is going to be out of my hand quickly.”
Getting the ball out of Brewer’s hand quickly will be a priority for Baylor this season, especially with his history of frequent injuries. Brewer suffered three concussions last season as well as several injuries that knocked him out of both the Big 12 Championship game and the Sugar Bowl. Brewer said that he thinks Fedora’s new system will help protect him.
“I’m not going to be asked to do kind of the same stuff I was asked to do last year,” Brewer said. “So, I think the system is going to protect me a little bit in that way.”
Brewer is primed to have a great senior season if he can stay healthy, especially considering the wide receivers surrounding him.
“I think all around we’ve got a really strong group at receiver,” Brewer said. “I know we have a really good offense this year and I’m ready to put it on display.”
