Charles Alexander (running back) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Charles Alexander

Alexander with the Bengals in 1980
No. 40
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1957-07-28) July 28, 1957 (age 68) Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Galveston (TX) Ball
College:	LSU
NFL Draft:	1979 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (1979–1985)
Career highlights and awards
SEC Player of the Year (1977) 2× Consensus All-American (1977, 1978) 2× First-team All-SEC (1977, 1978) Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 2,645 Average: 3.5 Rushing touchdowns: 13
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Charles Fred Alexander Jr. (born July 28, 1957) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals. Charles also played college football for the LSU Tigers. He was named an All-American twice. Later, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame. The Bengals picked him in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Charles Alexander was born in Galveston, Texas. He played football at Ball High School. His main job there was to block for other players. This meant he did not get many chances to run with the ball himself. He did not gain 1,000 yards in his whole high school career. Only a few colleges tried to recruit him to play for them.

College Football Career

Charles Alexander was recruited to Louisiana State University (LSU). The running backs coach, Jerry Stovall, believed in him. Alexander felt LSU was the right place for him. He joined the LSU Tigers football team in 1975. The team was coached by Hall of Fame coach Charles McClendon.

Starting at LSU

For his first two seasons, Alexander was a backup player. He played behind All-SEC running back Terry Robiskie. In those two years, he rushed for 1,177 yards. He gained 876 yards in his second year alone.

Alexander became the main running back in 1977, his junior year. In a game against Oregon, he scored four touchdowns. He also set an LSU record by rushing for 237 yards. For this amazing game, he was named United Press International Back of the Week.

Record-Breaking Seasons

His 1,686 rushing yards in 1977 helped LSU finish with an 8–3 record. They earned a trip to the Sun Bowl. In that game, Alexander set two Sun Bowl rushing records. He carried the ball 31 times for 197 yards. He was named the Offensive Player of the Game. Even with his great effort, LSU lost to Stanford 24–14.

In his senior year in 1978, Alexander's workload changed. The team's offense became more balanced. This was because LSU Athletic Hall of Famer David Woodley was the quarterback. Alexander and Woodley led the team to another 8–3 record. People started comparing Alexander to NFL star Earl Campbell. They noted his "unique, slashing running style."

Alexander played his last game as an LSU Tiger in the 1978 Liberty Bowl. He rushed for 133 yards in that game. LSU lost to Missouri 20–15.

College Achievements

LSU fans called him "Alexander the Great" because of his achievements. In his last two seasons, he was chosen as an All-American. He also earned All-SEC honors. In 1977, he was named the SEC Most Valuable Player.

During his college career, Alexander set nine SEC records. He tied another record and set 27 LSU records. He finished his time at LSU with 4,035 rushing yards. This was over 1,500 yards more than the previous LSU record holder. His 1,686 rushing yards in 1977 were LSU single-season records. These records stood until 2015, when Leonard Fournette broke them.

College Statistics

* Includes bowl games.

Professional NFL Career

The Cincinnati Bengals picked Charles Alexander 12th overall in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft. He spent most of his professional career as a backup running back. He played behind Pro Bowl player Pete Johnson. He also shared carries with former Heisman winner Archie Griffin.

Most Productive Season

His best season was in 1980. He played in all 16 regular season games. He carried the ball 169 times for 702 yards.

Alexander played an important role in the Bengals' run in the 1981 playoffs. In their win against the Buffalo Bills, he rushed for 72 yards. He also scored two touchdowns. He is one of only four Bengals players to score multiple touchdowns in a single postseason game. He was the first to do so.

Super Bowl Appearance

He rushed for 22 yards and caught three passes for 25 yards. This was in the Bengals' win over San Diego in the famous "Freezer Bowl." Alexander said about the game, "Everything on the sidelines froze: the players, the water, the Gatorade, everything." In Super Bowl XVI, he carried the ball five times for 17 yards. He also caught two passes for three yards. The Bengals lost to the 49ers in that game.

Alexander finished his NFL career with 2,645 rushing yards. He scored 13 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 165 passes for 1,130 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Life After Football

After retiring from the NFL, Charles Alexander started working in the oil and gas business. He also worked for a short time as an assistant director for LSU's Tiger Athletic Foundation. In 1989, Alexander was added to the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2011, he started his own company, Charlie 4 Strong Seasoning, Inc. This company sells "C'mon Man Cajun seasoning and fish fry." In 2012, he became the eighth former LSU football player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.