Before Charlie Kirk was a right-wing political commentator, he was a football player.
Images have surfaced across the internet of Kirk practicing alongside former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when the two were in high school.
Kirk and Garoppolo grew up in Illinois and attended high school nearly 20 minutes apart from one another.
Kirk attended Wheeling High School and was a two-sport athlete, playing football and basketball. Garoppolo attended Rolling Meadows and was a three-sport athlete, playing football, baseball and basketball.
Garoppolo’s football career continued after high school, playing college football at Eastern Illinois, and he eventually was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
In 2017, Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers. In 2019, he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl, throwing for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns that season.
San Francisco ended up losing the game to the Chiefs, which ignited Kansas City’s ongoing dynasty with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
While Kirk did not go on to play college football like his former training partner, videos have recently surfaced showing Kirk’s arm strength, as he could sling the football 50-plus yards.
It was in high school that Kirk started to become politically active. After he graduated, he briefly attended college at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, but didn’t end up finishing, as he went on to focus on building up Turning Point USA with Bill Montgomery.
Kirk remained an avid football fan and was seen supporting the Oregon Ducks, as well as taking pictures with former Oregon and current Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
When Kirk was assassinated in August 2025, Oregon coach Dan Lanning spoke about the event and said, “Life matters, you know, I think we’ve lost sight of that.”
Since Kirk’s death, Garoppolo has not released a statement.
Garoppolo, who recently played for the Rams, is a free agent and has reportedly been considering retirement after a 12-year career.