Chuck attended Medford Senior High. Playing football under the tutelage of head coach, Lee Ragsdale, and assistant coaches, Bob Newland and Fred Spiegelberg on the Medford Black Tornado football team he gained 1st team All-Conference honors his junior and senior years. He played three games in Honolulu, Hawaii as a member of the United States All-Star team in 1948 and in 1949 played the Shrine Game in Portland.

While playing ball at Southern Oregon College he made 2nd team All-Conference three years and was twice on the Humboldt All Opponent team. Letters from the Baltimore Colts and the Chicago Cardinals went unanswered.