Charles Cornelius (gridiron football) facts for kids
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| Position: | Defensive back | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | July 27, 1952 Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 176 lb (80 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Atlantic (Delray Beach, Florida) | ||||
| College: | Bethune-Cookman (1972–1976) | ||||
| Undrafted: | 1977 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| CFL status: | International | ||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Charles Edward Cornelius, born on July 27, 1952, is a former American football player. He was a defensive back, which is a player who tries to stop the other team from scoring. Charles played for teams in both the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman University.
Growing Up and College Football
Charles Edward Cornelius was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, on July 27, 1952. He went to Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, Florida.
He played college football for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. He was part of the team from 1972 to 1976. Charles earned a "letter" for playing well for three years. This was from 1973 to 1975. He also played in a special game called the Black College All-American Classic in 1977.
Playing in the NFL
After college, Charles Cornelius was not chosen in the 1977 NFL draft. This means he was "undrafted." However, he still got a chance to play. He signed with the Miami Dolphins.
He joined the Dolphins in 1977 and played in 13 games. In 1978, he played in all 16 games. During that year, he made one interception, which is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an opponent. He also returned one punt.
In 1979, Charles was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He played in all 16 games and started 14 of them. He made three interceptions and recovered two fumbles. A fumble is when a player drops the ball. The 49ers had a tough season that year. In 1980, he played in all 16 games again and recovered two more fumbles. He left the 49ers in 1981.
Charles was briefly with the Green Bay Packers in 1981. He was "claimed off waivers," which means another team picked him up after his previous team let him go. However, he was later released by the Packers.
Playing in the CFL
After his time in the NFL, Charles Cornelius moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 1981, he played eight games for the Montreal Alouettes. He made four interceptions for the team.
In 1982, the Montreal Alouettes team was renamed the Montreal Concordes. Charles played in all 16 games for them. He made two more interceptions that season.
From 1983 to 1984, Charles played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL. In 1983, he played 14 games and made two interceptions. In his final season in 1984, he played eight games and had three interceptions.
