Clifford Charlton
{{Short description|American football player (born 1965)}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Clifford Charlton
| number = 58
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|2|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 240
| high_school = Leon (Tallahassee)
| college = Florida
| draftyear = 1988
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 21
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1988|1989}})
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1990}})*
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1991}})*
| highlights =
- First-team All-American (1987)
- 2× First-team All-SEC (1986, 1987)
| statlabel1 = Sacks
| statvalue1 = 1.0
| pfr = CharCl20
}}
Clifford Tyrone Charlton (born February 16, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the late 1980s. Charlton played college football for the University of Florida, and received All-American honors. A first-round pick in the 1988 NFL draft, he played professionally for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Early life
Charlton was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1965.{{Cite web |title=Clifford Charlton Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CharCl20.htm |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He attended Leon High School in Tallahassee,databaseFootball.com, Players, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100218025954/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=CHARLCLI01 Clifford Charlton]}}. Retrieved June 30, 2010. where he was a standout high school football player for the Leon Lions.
College career
Charlton accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played linebacker for coach Galen Hall's Florida Gators football team from 1984 to 1987.[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035222/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf |date=April 2, 2012 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 92, 96, 98, 124, 153–154, 180 (2011). Retrieved August 28, 2011. He was a member of the Gators' best-in-the-Southeastern Conference (SEC) football teams that posted identical 9–1–1 overall win–loss records in 1984 and 1985. He was also a first-team All-SEC selection in 1986 and 1987, and a first-team All-American and team captain in 1987. Charlton's fifteen forced fumbles, forty-nine career tackles for a loss and twenty-five quarterback sacks still rank first, fifth and fourth, respectively, on the Gators' all-time career records lists.
Charlton graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1988.
Professional career
Charlton was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft with the 21st overall pick.{{Cite web |title=1988 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1988/draft.htm |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played in thirty-one games for the Browns during the {{NFL Year|1988}} and {{NFL Year|1989}} seasons.National Football League, Historical Players, [http://www.nfl.com/players/cliffordcharlton/profile?id=CHA627998 Clifford Charlton]. Retrieved March 16, 2011. As a first round pick, the Browns had high expectations for Charlton. However, he suffered a severe knee injury that tore the MCL and ACL ligaments of his knee and prematurely ended his professional career.
See also
{{Portal|American football|Biography|College football}}
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
Bibliography
- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). {{ISBN|0-7948-2298-3}}.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). {{ISBN|0-9650782-1-3}}.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). {{ISBN|1-58261-514-4}}.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Tk-IQepI6cC Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football], Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). {{ISBN|978-0-7385-0559-6}}.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). {{ISBN|1-57167-196-X}}.
{{1988 NFL Draft}}
{{Browns1988DraftPicks}}
{{BrownsFirstPick}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlton, Clifford}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Cleveland Browns players
Category:Florida Gators football players
Category:Players of American football from Tallahassee, Florida