The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Georgia, Rabun County WR gets a 3-year deal.
FLOWERY BRANCH — Char- lie Woerner was considered one of the state’s top wide receivers in 2015 heading into his senior year at Rabun County High.
Fast forward a decade, and he’s a stout tight end with the Falcons after signing a three-year, $12 million deal with the team Wednesday.
He was picked for the AJC’s Super 11 team back in the day.
“It was really cool to be honored that way by the AJC,” Woerner said. “Going into my senior year of high school. That was my first weird photo-shoot deal. That was a lot of fun back then.”
Af er going to play at Geor- gia, Woerner was drafted in the sixth round (190th over- all) in 2020 by San Francisco. He played in 65 games and made seven starts for the 49ers, and played in nine playoff games (starting one).
He is the nephew of College Football Hall of Fame defen- sive back Scott Woerner, who helped the Bulldogs win a national title in 1980 and was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 1981.
“He likes to talk about the good ol’ days,” Charlie Woerner said of his uncle. “He played for the Falcons. We don’t talk a lot of foot- ball, but he does like to talk about good old days, espe- cially at Georgia when they won the national championship back then. Scott’s a good one. He definitely has had an impact on my career.
erner’s final season at Georgia was 2019, and he was part of a senior class that won 44 games, tied for most in school history at the time. Woerner has crafted a niche in the league as a run-block- ing tight end. In his career, he has only 15 targets and 11 catches.
“Over half of the battle is just wanting to do it,” Woerner said. “I think a lot of guys don’t want to do it. You know, so if you got the want to, you’re kind of get- ting half the battle out (of the way) and then after that, it’s just a lot of experience, tech- nique and just being gritty.
erner learned his trade while watching 49ers tight end George Kittle, the fivetime Pro Bowler and two- time All-Pro.
“I learned what it means to be an NFL tight end, first and foremost,” Woerner said. “He taught me what it meant to be, you know, as a young kid coming into the league, how to find my way. To be consistent and so hard-work- ing. Show up day in and day out.”
The 49ers have been to the past three NFC title games, losing the most recent Super Bowl to the Chiefs.
“It ain’t easy to help (a team) make it to the play- offs consistently,” Woerner said. “Just to watch (Kittle) and his work ethic. I spent one offseason with him in Nashville, too.”
Woerner can pass his les- sons along to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. “I just learned so much from George,” Woerner said. “I attribute so much to him and so much of who I am as a player stems from him. I’m just going to continue to bring that here to the Falcons. So yeah, I hope I rub off on a lot of my teammates.”
Woerner is used to work- ing in Kyle Shanahan’s ver- sion of the West Coast offense. The Falcons will employ more of the Sean McVay version, which uses three-wide receiver sets, more double tight ends and less of a fullback.
Woerner said new teammate and quarterback Kirk Cousins, who also signed Wednesday, “seems like a great man, a great man of faith.”
Woerner believes the Falcons, who have posted six consecutive losing seasons, have a chance to make the playoffs. They have not been to the playoffs since after the 2017 season.
“This roster seems so ready to just take off,” Woerner said. “You got a new head coach. New staff. A bunch of people out here new, but I think a lot of the team is the same . ... It’s not a full rebuild as you think with the new coach. It seems like a refresh.”
Woerner, who lives in Ath- ens in the offseason, will get to see more of family and have them at the games.
“I can go hang out with someone in the afternoon that I haven’t been able to the last four years,” Woerner said. “Yeah, I’m excited to get to hunting and fishing some more.”