Like Father Like Son, The Road to Football Recruiting

Since the beginning of time there has been a long history of sons following in their father’s footsteps. From career choices, to military enlistment to their college enrollment there are a lot of decisions that young men must make as they take the next step post high school.

With Father’s Day on Sunday, it is a good time to celebrate fathers and their sons and highlight one special Phoenix father son duo who are embarking on the college recruitment process together.

Deciding on college is one of the biggest decision a student will make in their young life. Add to that being a college athlete and not only wanting to find the perfect school to play for, but also the hopes the coach decides to choose you, make finalizing your college decision that much more challenging.

Naturally the unknowns are going to create a lot of questions and the student athlete in most cases will turn to their parents for guidance and answers.  Parents play a significant role during recruiting, primarily helping to navigate a daunting process. College coaches often spend just as much time getting to know the parents as they do recruiting the athletes. This is one of the unique sides of college football recruiting that only a select group of fathers and sons experience first-hand.

For Phoenix residents Chuck and Charlie LeVinus, recruiting has proven to be a special time in their lives.

Charlie LeVinus, a class of 2025 rising Junior quarterback at Paradise Valley High School, is hoping to trade in his high school football jersey and suit up for a spot in a university line up.

Charlie is just getting started in the recruiting process and has his dad right by his side. Charlie’s father Chuck, grew up playing Arizona football at Cactus High School. He went on to play four years as the backup quarterback and on special team for West Virginia University. In 1988, for the first time in the school’s history, West Virginia University had the record of 11-0. That same year Chuck returned to the valley with his team for the West Virginia/Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl. That was WVU’s first time ever playing in a New Year’s Eve bowl game. Chuck went on to play a year of professional football in Spain where he quarterbacked their team to a National Championship.

1988 11-0 WVU Fiesta Bowl Team

Fast forward 25 years and his son Charlie is hoping to return to that same field. “The mere thought of my son following in my footsteps to play at my alma mater is indescribable,” Chuck Levinus shared.

Charlie at 12 years with 1988 Center and Captain Kevin Koken.

Charlie is an all around athlete who has excelled in many sports including baseball, basketball, and track and field. He won a National Championship in the discus and placed 2nd in the USATF Nationals in Rochester, New York as a youth. However, he always had a passion for football and a strong desire to be a quarterback, just like his dad. With Charlie’s recruiting journey just getting started, he has already had a few unofficial visits. For Charlie a recent visit to SDSU helped put it all into perspective on just how important his decision will be. The experience is something that he doesn’t take lightly.

Charlie with Mom and Dad Courtney & Chuck LeVinus

During Charlie’s freshman year, the family had an opportunity to visit West Virginia University. For Chuck, the experience of going back to his school and watching his son throw a football on the same field he did for four years, was a full circle experience. When on that visit Charlie said he, “loved the campus and thought it was a cool place and WVU plays great football.”

Chuck is looking forward to seeing that again when the two return to Morgantown this summer for a football camp that Charlie will take part in.

While Charlie works through the recruiting process and gets closer to making his decision on where he will call home for the next 4 years, he is preparing for the future with routine strength training, putting time in with his throwing coach and refining his quarterback skills that will help him succeed on the field in college.

Charlie has received interest  from West Virginia University, San Diego State University, UCONN, Yale, Marshall and UNLV, and many others.

When asked where he wants to commit Charlie said, “I’ll go anywhere they want me. If it means I have to go across the country 3,000 miles away to play football, I’ll go. I am also open to staying closer to home as well. Ideally, I’d love to play Division 1 college football, but I am open to all opportunities if it means I get to play football at the next level.”

Chuck and Charlie with Mountaineer great and College football hall of fame inductee Major Harris

As any proud father knows, Chuck has cherished the time he has had watching his son develop into the athlete he is today. As the LeVinus’ take on the recruiting process, Chuck will be happy to watch his son Charlie play college football anywhere and looks forward to the day when his son will sign his National Letter of Intent. Until then he is enjoying the journey of their special bonding time and is committed to helping him navigate the process, with just a wee bit of hope he will follow his footsteps and becomes a West Virginia Mountaineer.

Click here to follow Charlie LeVinus’ journey.