Charles Washington (defensive back, born 1993) facts for kids

Charles Washington, born on March 10, 1993, is a former professional American football player. He played as a safety. Charles played college football at Fresno State. After college, he joined the Detroit Lions in 2016.

Early Life and High School Football

Charles Washington grew up in Encino, California. He played high school football at Crespi Carmelite High School. In his senior year, 2010, he was a star player. He made 57 solo tackles and helped with 29 other tackles. He also caught 5 interceptions. On offense, he ran for 123 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. His amazing performance earned him the Defensive MVP award for his league.

College Football Career

Charles Washington played for the Fresno State Bulldogs from 2012 to 2015. He spent his first year, 2011, as a "redshirt" player, meaning he practiced but did not play in games.

Playing for Fresno State

In 2012, Charles played in 12 games. He made 8 solo tackles and helped with 5 others. He also broke up 2 passes and recovered 1 fumble. He even scored two points by returning a blocked extra point attempt. For his good work in academics, he received Mountain West (MW) All-Academic honors.

In 2013, Charles started all 13 games. He made 50 solo tackles and 21 assisted tackles. He also had 2 sacks, 1 interception, and broke up 2 passes. He even forced 1 fumble. He started most games as a strong safety and finished the season playing cornerback. He again earned MW All-Academic recognition.

During the 2014 season, Charles started all 14 games. He recorded 61 solo tackles and 17 assisted tackles. He also had 2 interceptions and broke up 7 passes. He recovered another fumble that year. He played in different positions, including cornerback, safety, and nickelback. He continued to earn MW All-Academic honors.

In 2015, Charles played in 11 games, starting all of them. He made 31 solo tackles and 9 assisted tackles. He also had 1 sack and broke up 6 passes. He missed one game due to an injury. He started the season at cornerback and then moved to strong safety. He received MW All-Academic recognition for the fourth time.

Overall, Charles played in 50 college games, starting 38 of them. He made a total of 202 tackles and caught 3 interceptions. After his college career, he participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January 2016. He studied criminology corrections at Fresno State.

Professional Football Journey

After college, Charles Washington hoped to join the NFL.

Playing for the Detroit Lions

Charles Washington was not chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, he signed with the Detroit Lions on May 6, 2016, as an undrafted free agent. He was later placed on the team's practice squad. He signed a new contract with the Lions in January 2017.

In 2018, Charles played in 13 games for the Lions. Unfortunately, he was placed on injured reserve in December 2018 due to an injury. He was released by the Lions in August 2019.

Playing for the Arizona Cardinals

On September 1, 2019, the Arizona Cardinals picked up Charles Washington. This meant he joined their team.

He re-signed with the Cardinals in March 2020 and again in March 2021. In September 2021, he was placed on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. He was able to return to play in December of that year.

In May 2022, Charles re-signed with the Cardinals once more. He was placed on injured reserve again in September 2022. He was activated and returned to play in November 2022.