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football Edit

Hand in the candy jar

 
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Jumbo athlete Charlie Woerner (Tiger, Ga./Rabun County School) committed to Georgia
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back in July. The wide receiver/safety/tight end made his announcement and then
went back to his preferred status: being left alone by reporters.
A lot has happened since that time within the Bulldogs program. After a trio of
tough losses to rivals, rumors have swirled regarding friction on the coaching
staff and whether Mark Richt will be back as head coach next season.
Woerner has heard all the noise.
"I'm just waiting to get up there," Woerner said. "It's just drama. It happens
at schools all the time. I think it will all blow over."
The four-star prospect hasn't thought about how potential coaching staff changes
would impact him, but he doesn't plan on going back on his word.
"I don't know," Woerner said. "I haven't really thought that far. I don't want
to think about that. I'd still go to Georgia either way because I'm more
committed to the program itself rather than the coaches."
That comes as good news to the Georgia fan base as well as Bulldog legend Robert
Edwards, whose Greene County team (of which Edwards is the head coach) had to
face Woerner and Rabun County.
"I think he is a great find," Edwards said. "I am praying he continues to have
interest in Georgia and sticks with them no matter what they are going through.
I think he is going to be great for Georgia. They have options with him on where
they want to play him. He is out there running routes at receiver, catching
punts, playing safety.  I am not sure where he is going to wind up. He can
play outside linebacker or tight end. That is like sticking your hand in the
candy jar. He is like a Champ Bailey but bigger.
He reminds me of Brandon Tolbert in high school. I remember playing Brandon in
high school and he was a safety and a wide receiver at 6-4 and could run.
Charlie is a great athlete and Georgia really has something in him."
Edwards explained how he as an opposing coach had to be careful when
gameplanning for Woerner.
"They use him as a decoy a lot," Edwards said. "They like to get him the ball in
space when he is matched up one on one. And they do. Then you stack two men on
him and not that is two men who are unaccounted for in the box. They have a good
quarterback and a good running back, so while you are worried about Charlie,
everyone else is beating you."
Woerner plays all over the field for his high school team due to his versatility
as an athlete. All he knows about Georgia's plan for him is which side of the ball
he'll be on when he arrives in Athens.
"They have really just said somewhere on the offensive side of the ball,"
Woerner said. "It will be either wide receiver, H-back or tight end. We've
talked about it. I'll definitely be on offense."
If Woerner has a preference on where he plays, he's not saying.
"I'll do whatever they tell me to do," Woerner said. "What I want to do is
please the coaches. That's just how I was raised. I want to be part of the team
and help the team win."
More than likely, Woerner will be catching passes as a wide receiver or tight
end when he arrives in Athens, and he knows that's an area on which he needs work.
Although, last week he did catch four touchdown passes and has racked up 13
touchdown receptions on the season.
"I really just need to get better at playing receiver because I've been playing
running back the past two years," Woerner said. "I definitely need to get better
at running routes."
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