Malik Charles was one of the best kept secrets in the Arizona high school football community when he walked the halls of Heritage Academy Maricopa.
So secretive, in fact, that even he didn’t realize the talent he possessed on the gridiron. It was for that reason Charles went the basketball route, transferring from Heritage to national powerhouse Arizona Compass Prep in Chandler.
At Arizona Compass Prep, he played alongside the likes of Dylan Andrews (UCLA), Kylan Boswell (Illinois) and Mookie Cook (Oregon).
Charles, however, had a “come to Jesus” meeting with himself following his senior year on the hardwood. Two years earlier he felt like he wasn’t good enough to play college football. Now, he struggled with the thought of college basketball also being out of reach.
But Charles isn’t a quitter. He dug in and went to work, returning to football.
“After my senior year I told myself I can’t play basketball in college,” said Charles, who said he had only played three games of eight-man football previously. “I knew I didn’t love the sport anymore. My potential wasn’t as high as it was in football.”
Charles worked his way to Western New Mexico, where he signed with the Mustangs as a tight end. After redshirting his freshman year, he returned to Arizona and played for the Lumberjacks at NAU.
Losing his love for the offensive side of the ball, he made the move to defensive line, much to the displeasure of some of his coaches. But he shined.
He played in 11 games for the Lumberjacks as a walk-on, and eventually made the move to West Georgia in its first year moving from NCAA DII competition to the FCS level, where he led the team with 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Every step of his career, Charles progressed. When he entered the transfer portal from West Georgia, that was quickly realized when he began receiving offers from Power 4 programs.
Texas A&M, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, the University of California, Berkeley and others came calling. But he felt at home in Stillwater, signing with Oklahoma State to play under Mike Gundy.
“Some days I sit back and think about it like, ‘Man, this is crazy,’” Charles said. “I was a kid who wanted to play basketball in college and now I’m at OSU playing football. Sometimes I look at things and know only God could have done that.
“People don’t know this but I was close to hanging up the cleats. I didn’t have any opportunities after Western New Mexico. I was worried. But walking on at NAU was a sign from God that I can play this game, I just had to work.”
Just four years removed from playing basketball at a powerhouse and five years removed from a football program that is often overlooked, Charles is set to play on one of college football’s biggest stages in the Big 12.
“I’ve always felt like I was underrated and played with that underdog mentality,” Charles said. “Sometimes you just have to work because you aren’t going to be given everything. I’m an underdog, and now my underdog story is starting to show.”
Charles still looks back at his journey and is stunned by what he was able to accomplish.
He was unknown in Arizona. Even on the Compass basketball team, he was overshadowed by others around him. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, adding volleyball to the mix. He didn’t know where sports would take him, but he is living proof that with a little bit of effort, anything is possible.
Charles hopes to play a considerable role on the Oklahoma State defense next season, and believes he is on track to do so. Representing Arizona is something he thinks about a lot, especially alongside long snapper Shea Freibaum, a Saguaro alum, and offensive lineman Jack Endean, who graduated from Tanque Verde in Tucson.
His ultimate goal is to follow in his father’s footsteps. Mike Charles was an All-American defensive line at Syracuse and spent nine seasons in the NFL for multiple teams. He accumulated 14 sacks in 101 total games.
Fighting an uphill battle his entire career, Charles doesn’t shy away from challenges that come his way. As he’s proven, he knows how to overcome them just fine.
“When I was younger I always wanted to be like (my dad),” Charles said. “I saw the picture of him sacking Joe Montana. To know I’m close to reaching the same goal, it’s exciting.”
