Charles Arvanigian Felix Joyner interview on his first start

In the Charles Arvanigian Felix Joyner interview for MILLIONS, the former Stonehill College and UMass quarterback said he did not start a football game until his fifth year of high school. Arvanigian told Joyner how faith helped him persist as an undersized player, why he moved into quarterback coaching and what he wants young players to understand about setbacks.

How did Charles Arvanigian’s football journey begin in Central Massachusetts?

Charles Arvanigian first played tackle football in sixth grade, but he did not start a game in middle school or during his first four years of high school. He stayed with quarterback despite a freshman-year elbow injury and a season playing defensive back, then got his first start in a fifth year of high school.

Watching teammates play in middle school

Arvanigian grew up in Central Massachusetts and joined a strong middle school team. He recalled watching friends play and start while he remained on the sideline. Some teammates attracted attention from colleges before high school, giving him an early view of recruiting and prompting him to question whether he was good enough.

The injury and the fifth year of high school

High school brought a different set of obstacles. Arvanigian said his height made it harder to earn an opportunity at quarterback, while the competition around private and preparatory schools added pressure. He tore his UCL as a freshman and played defensive back for a year after returning, but did not want to give up on quarterback.

He reclassified and spent an additional year in high school because he had not yet received the playing opportunity he wanted. Before the first game of that fifth year, he said, he had never started a football game at any level.

What did Charles Arvanigian say about being an undersized quarterback and faith?

Charles Arvanigian said being a 5-foot-8 quarterback meant he could not expect an opportunity simply by stepping onto the field. He credits his Christian faith with helping him stay focused, while urging other undersized players to seek guidance, work on the mental side of quarterback and decide for themselves how to respond to doubt.

Arvanigian described his Armenian heritage and belief in Jesus Christ as central to his motivation. He wanted to lead, share his faith and pursue football even when his path did not resemble that of teammates receiving early attention. In his view, faith gave him a reason to keep working when a starting job or college opportunity was not yet visible.

For players told they are too short, his advice was to look inward rather than wait for somebody else to change their circumstances. He also remembered a saying from his grandfather in Armenian that meant “like a rock.” Arvanigian took it as a reminder to stand his ground, including when a coach did not see the same potential he saw in himself.

He did not present his progress as something he achieved alone. Arvanigian said coaches, mentors and other people around him helped him advance, and he encouraged a player who feels stuck to speak with a peer or mentor. He considers the mental demands of quarterback especially important for someone who cannot rely on the usual height expectations for the position.

How did Charles Arvanigian go from Stonehill College to UMass?

Charles Arvanigian received college opportunities after his fifth year of high school and chose to play at Stonehill College, an FCS program near Boston. He said starts during his freshman year there gave him film that helped him transfer to UMass, where he ended his playing career the year before this interview.

Choosing Stonehill College

Arvanigian said his options included scholarships and preferred walk-on opportunities. Although Ohio State University had been a dream school, he chose to see what he could do at the Division I FCS level first. He hoped that proving himself there might create a chance to move up.

Getting film and moving to UMass

A couple of freshman-year starts at Stonehill gave him that chance. Arvanigian credited the playing time and resulting film with helping him reach UMass. He spoke about the move as an opportunity created by finally getting on the field, rather than by the attention he had missed earlier in his career.

At UMass, he worked with Coach Bajakian, whom he described as an important mentor and a fellow Armenian. Arvanigian said Bajakian taught him aspects of quarterback play he had not previously understood. He noted that the coach later worked with the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson.

What does Charles Arvanigian do in quarterback coaching?

Charles Arvanigian now coaches quarterbacks while continuing his studies. He said coaching lets him pass on what he learned as a player, particularly the confidence and mental preparation involved in pursuing a position. He works closely with a limited number of players and plans online group sessions focused on the mental side of sports.

Moving from a team’s daily system into his own coaching work has suited him, Arvanigian said. He wants players trying to follow a similar path to hear why he believes he succeeded, including what happened before he received college opportunities. He also hopes to speak at schools about the mental side of football and other sports.

His individual coaching is deliberately small-scale. Arvanigian said he does not take every applicant because he wants to keep his work detailed and personal. Alongside the planned online group sessions, he said he intends to add coaches to his team.

He emphasized that physical instruction alone is not enough. Arvanigian described quarterback as heavily mental and urged undersized players who feel stalled to talk with someone who can help them reassess their situation, rather than trying to solve every problem on their own.

What advice did Charles Arvanigian give about bad days and the depth chart?

Charles Arvanigian told Felix Joyner that a setback should not become a player’s identity. He pointed to a quarterback he coaches who had been fourth on a junior college depth chart and was competing for the starting position. His advice to that player was to keep working through difficult days instead of treating them as a final verdict.

Arvanigian described the player as a hard worker from Mexico who does not speak English as well as his teammates. The example mattered to him because a low place on the depth chart had not stopped the player from getting into contention for a start.

He extended the point beyond football. A position change, a move to second string or an unrelated personal setback can feel permanent in the moment, he said, but none defines the person experiencing it. His phrase for persisting through those periods was “let those bad days stack.”

Arvanigian also applied that thinking to his coaching business. He recalled putting out a large amount of content, getting few views and wondering whether anyone wanted to hear his story. He contrasted those days with a video that drew substantially more attention and helped connect him with Joyner, while acknowledging that progress would not stay steady.

What did Charles Arvanigian say about Under Armour and future partnerships?

Charles Arvanigian said he currently coaches quarterbacks for Under Armour and wants to continue working around Under Armour Next camps. He is also open to partnerships with organizations that share his faith-driven outlook and have a purpose beyond making money. For him, the work is an extension of coaching and sharing his experience.

Arvanigian said he would welcome chances to travel, meet people and build relationships with organizations interested in his story and the people on his team. He did not name another specific brand he hoped to join.

Joyner closed by asking what Arvanigian most wanted to leave with viewers. His answer returned to the conviction he had connected to football, coaching and difficult days. Arvanigian put it this way:

Believe man believe that's it believe in yourself believe in god believe in your family believe in the people behind you

He urged players to stay consistent with a goal and to keep faith in themselves or in something beyond themselves. It was the same approach he said carried him from years without a start to college football and, eventually, into coaching.