CINCINNATI — Charlie Becker is not from Cincinnati, but he's as Cincinnati as it gets.
The 1991 season was one of the most successful and memorable in the history of Elder High School's football program — and Charlie's dad, safety and 1992 Elder graduate Dave Becker, was one of the stars of the team.
The team reeled off a 10-0 record in the regular season – a mark that was unmatched at the school until the recent 2025 season.
"Nobody could block (Dave). He was shedding blocks and making tackles for no gain," said former Elder head coach Tom Grippa, now head coach at Milford High School.
Dave Becker was named conference player of the year in 1991.
"Friday night lights down in Price Hill at The Pit was something so special that people can't appreciate it unless you had the opportunity to do it," Dave Becker said.
Dave Becker went on to play college football and professional baseball before starting a family in Cincinnati.
Eventually, he moved to Nashville, along with his wife and three children.
All three kids grew up to play sports in college.
"You always want your children to be better and have more opportunities than you," Dave Becker said.
Now Charlie, the Beckers' middle child, is a sophomore on the football team at Indiana University.
35 years after his father led Elder to that 10-0 regular season, Charlie helped Indiana win 16 games this season, capping off the season with a national championship.
"I'm just so happy and so blessed," Charlie Becker said. "I'm so happy for my teammates."
The game-deciding touchdown in the national championship game was scored by quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, is Charlie Becker's roommate.
That monumental touchdown would've never happened without the fourth-down conversion, four plays earlier.
Fernando Mendoza threw a pass to his roommate. Charlie Becker made a spectacular catch to keep the drive alive.
That Mendoza-Becker connection isn't new.
One month prior, on a similar route and throw, the two roommates helped salt away the Big Ten championship.
At the time of that catch, the announcer labeled the receiver as "Charlie B. from Nashville, Tennessee."
He's not wrong. But a closer look will show you — Charlie Becker is also a west side kid.
His father said Charlie has been to The Pit and had the opportunity to see the atmosphere at an Elder football game.
"It's what you dreamt about as a kid, coming out here and making plays in the national championship," said Charlie Becker.
Now, Charlie is living out his west side dream on the national stage.
