Orson Charles
American football player (born 1991)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orson Charles (born January 27, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end and fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning first-team All-American honors as a tight end in 2011. Charles was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft.
Charles with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 | |||||||||
| No. 80, 82, 84 | |||||||||
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| Positions | Tight end Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | January 27, 1991 Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 257 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Henry B. Plant (Tampa) | ||||||||
| College | Georgia | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2012: 4th round, 116th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Early life
Charles attended Riverview High School before transferring to Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida for his senior year, where he was a teammate of Aaron Murray. During a recruiting visit to the University of Florida in 2008, Charles accidentally dropped the school's 2006 National Championship Trophy, breaking the Waterford Crystal football.[1] He played in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
College career
Charles was named a finalist for the 2011 John Mackey Award on November 21, 2011.[2]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.73 s | 1.66 s | 2.72 s | 4.37 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) | 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) | 35 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[3][4] | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati Bengals
Charles was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round, 116th overall, of the 2012 NFL draft.[5] In his rookie season, he played all 16 games, starting 6 of them, accumulating 8 receptions for 101 yards. In 2013 Charles played primarily at fullback; He played 13 games but started none and recorded one catch for eight yards.[6]
Tennessee Titans
Charles was signed to the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans on September 1, 2014. He was released on September 9, 2014.[7]
New Orleans Saints
On September 23, 2014, Charles was signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad.
Detroit Lions
On June 16, 2016, Charles was signed by the Detroit Lions.[8] He was released on October 4, 2016.[9]
Kansas City Chiefs
On May 31, 2017, Charles signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.[10] He was waived on September 2, 2017 and was signed to the Chiefs' practice squad the next day.[11][12] He was released on October 7, 2017.[13] He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 25, 2017. He was promoted to the active roster on November 28, 2017.[14] He was waived by the Chiefs on May 3, 2018.[15]
Cleveland Browns
On July 30, 2018, Charles signed with the Cleveland Browns.[16] He made the Browns final roster as the team's fourth tight end. Despite being listed as a tight end, Charles had lined up primarily as a fullback throughout the 2018 season. He appeared on the 2018 Pro Bowl ballot as a fullback, and Browns coaches have signaled they view him as such.[17] The Browns placed Charles on injured reserve with an ankle injury on December 13, 2018.[18]
On April 3, 2019, Charles re-signed with the Browns.[19] The Browns waived Charles on August 11, 2019.
Denver Broncos
On August 21, 2019, Charles signed with the Denver Broncos.[20] He was released on August 31, 2019.[21] He was re-signed on November 19, 2019, but was released three days later.[22]
Charles was drafted in the 6th round of the 2020 XFL Draft by the DC Defenders,[23] but did not sign with the team.
Legal troubles
Shortly before the 2012 NFL Draft, Charles was arrested for a DUI.[24]
On March 31, 2014, Charles was arrested for wanton endangerment in Richmond, Kentucky. Charles was pulled over by a police officer after another driver called in a complaint that Charles had shown a gun multiple times.[24] In February 2015 Charles pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment and will enter a diversion program.[25]
On July 16, 2022, Charles was arrested for pulling a gun on off-duty police officers in Tampa, Florida.[26]
