Charles Roberts (football player)
Encyclopedia
Charles Roberts is a free agent
running back
who most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
and BC Lions
in the Canadian Football League
.
, where he set numerous DI-AA rushing records for the Sac State Hornets football
team, including total rushing yards and most yards in a game (an amazing 409 yards vs Idaho State in 1999). His nickname while with the Hornets was "Choo-Choo Charlie", in reference to the train that would often come by behind the stadium during games and practices. Upon graduation, he went to Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
to play for the Canadian Football League
team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
.
.
Off the field he has experienced highs and lows. The enigmatic back has missed team flights, led the league in all-purpose yards, pondered retirement, led the league in rushing yards, publicly criticized some decisions, and signed a long-term big money deal to remain as the face of the Bombers.
Through the 2006 season, Roberts has rushed for 8,091 yards in just six seasons with the Blue Bombers. He has also tallied up 2,732 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns in his professional career so far.
On Sept. 2, 2007 Roberts passed Leo Lewis
to become the Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-time leading rusher. He is also fifth all-time in CFL career rushing totals.
Despite being relatively early in his career, Roberts was selected in 2005 as one of the 20 All-Time Blue Bomber Greats.
On September 1, 2008, Roberts was traded to the BC Lions for fellow RB
Joe Smith
.
On December 3, 2008, the Lions announced that Roberts' 2009 option was not being renewed and as a result he became a free agent
.
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
and BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
College
Roberts attended Sacramento StateCalifornia State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
, where he set numerous DI-AA rushing records for the Sac State Hornets football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, including total rushing yards and most yards in a game (an amazing 409 yards vs Idaho State in 1999). His nickname while with the Hornets was "Choo-Choo Charlie", in reference to the train that would often come by behind the stadium during games and practices. Upon graduation, he went to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to play for the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
.
Blue Bombers
In his 8-year tenure to date, he has established himself as one of the premier running backs in the Canadian Football League, earning the nickname "Blink" for his amazing quickness and agility. He led the league in rushing yards again in 2006 with 1609 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a nomination as the East's Most Outstanding PlayerCFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
.
Off the field he has experienced highs and lows. The enigmatic back has missed team flights, led the league in all-purpose yards, pondered retirement, led the league in rushing yards, publicly criticized some decisions, and signed a long-term big money deal to remain as the face of the Bombers.
Through the 2006 season, Roberts has rushed for 8,091 yards in just six seasons with the Blue Bombers. He has also tallied up 2,732 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns in his professional career so far.
On Sept. 2, 2007 Roberts passed Leo Lewis
Leo Lewis
Leo Lewis was a famed American College football player for Lincoln University of Missouri in the 1950s , who continued his success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League ....
to become the Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-time leading rusher. He is also fifth all-time in CFL career rushing totals.
Despite being relatively early in his career, Roberts was selected in 2005 as one of the 20 All-Time Blue Bomber Greats.
On September 1, 2008, Roberts was traded to the BC Lions for fellow RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Joe Smith
Joe Smith (football player)
Joseph O’Brien "Joe" Smith is a professional football player in the Canadian Football League who is a free agent. Smith plays the running back position...
.
BC Lions
On September 13, 2008, in a game against the Roughriders, Roberts ran to surpass 10,000 rushing yards in his CFL career.On December 3, 2008, the Lions announced that Roberts' 2009 option was not being renewed and as a result he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Statistics
| Year | Team | Attempts | Yards | Average | Long | TD | Fumbles | Receptions | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | WPG | 107 | 620 | 5.8 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 288 | 10 | 43 | 0 |
| 2002 | WPG | 216 | 1,162 | 5.4 | 70 | 5 | 5 | 55 | 613 | 11 | 591 | 6 |
| 2003 | WPG | 264 | 1,554 | 5.9 | 51 | 8 | 2 | 51 | 548 | 10 | 47 | 2 |
| 2004 | WPG | 300 | 1,522 | 5.1 | 49 | 8 | 11 | 53 | 398 | 7 | 26 | 5 |
| 2005 | WPG | 290 | 1,624 | 5.6 | 69 | 12 | 5 | 49 | 474 | 9 | 32 | 0 |
| 2006 | WPG | 303 | 1,609 | 5.3 | - | 10 | 5 | 42 | 411 | 9 | 32 | 0 |
| 2007 | WPG | 246 | 1,379 | 5.3 | - | 16 | 6 | 47 | 358 | 7 | 35 | 0 |
| 2008 | WPG/BC | 176 | 815 | 4.6 | - | 9 | 4 | 44 | 306 | 7 | 20 | 0 |
| Totals (to 2008) | TOT | 1918 | 10285 | 5.4 | 70 | 69 | 41 | 368 | 3396 | 9 | 64 | 13 |