The Legend of Charlie Brewer

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer has only played in 21 games for the Bears, most of those splitting reps or coming in during garbage time competing for time with Anu Solomon (remember him?), Zach Smith (remember him?) and Jalan McClendon (apparently he signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent. Good for him. #NextLevelBU). Even though his Junior year will be his first season coming into Game 1 as #TheGuy, Charlie the Touchdown Factory has already built up a reputation as a folk hero in McLane Stadium. Pecos Bill ain’t got nothing on Brazos Chuck.

It’s #PropagandaSZN, and this is the Legend of Charlie Brewer. Every very true fact you need to know about the best quarterback in the Big 12.

• Charlie Brewer is the highest graded returning Big 12 quarterback this season.

• The gold at the very top of Pat Neff Hall was put in place after Chuck threw it there, threading the needle perfectly between a corner and a safety coming over the top to help.

• Charlie Brewer invented the Dr Pepper Float.
• The Bearathon, the toughest half marathon in Texas, was inspired by Student Foundation members seeing a Charlie Brewer scramble for a 1st down on 3rd and 2.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

• Charlie Brewer single-handedly holds all four columns in place at the old Independence campus at all times. He’s literally doing it right now. Go look.
• Czech Stop is open 24 hours purely out of respect for Charlie Brewer, there’s no telling when he’ll want a kolache.

• After Baylor’s thrilling comeback Homecoming win over Oklahoma State, a young girl waited eagerly to meet Charlie Brewer outside the stadium. He was in a rush, but he could see this girl was dying to meet him so he stopped, signed an autograph and said “you can be whatever you want to be in life.” That young woman never forgot that moment and used it as inspiration for the rest of her life.

That young girl was named Kim Mulkey.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

• When Heisman trophy winner and #1 overall NFL draft pick Baker Mayfield was at Lake Travis High School in Austin, he was regularly bullied by his peers for being an inferior quarterback to an up and coming middle school-aged Charlie Brewer. Baker was often shoved into lockers and given swirlies until one day Charlie called an assembly of the entire school to show appreciation to Baker for keeping his spot as the starting quarterback warm until Charlie was old enough to take over.
• Charlie Brewer lifted the old Waco suspension bridge off of its pillars to create a new target in the Brazos river for himself. The Baylor tradition of tortilla tossing was created to commemorate the impressive feat.
• Burt Burleson looks to Charlie Brewer for spiritual guidance.

Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

• Charlie Brewer made the first “horns down” sign.
• Chip and Joanna Gaines were inspired to create the show Fixer Upper after seeing Charlie Brewer breathe new life into the Baylor offense during his show stopping comeback against West Virginia in 2017.
• Charlie Brewer once sat on a Baylor bench with a girl and the conversation wasn’t awkward at all and their relationship was very clearly defined in a satisfying way for both parties.
• Charlie Brewer’s father and brother also went to college. No one is quite sure what college. It doesn’t matter.

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Legend of Charlie Brewer is a complex oral history spanning decades and although I know much of it, there are always new stories and anecdotes I may miss. Feel free to add any stories you know about our beloved quarterback in the comments section.

Thanks for reading.