Pop in some tape on former Georgia tight end Orson Charles and it’s easy to see why teams looking for a tight end would be intrigued. He’s somewhat undersized, but he’s also an athletic playmaker from the tight end position that was able to consistently stretch the field against SEC defenses (caught 94 passes for 1370 yards & 10 TDs in his three year career). In a league where athletic tight ends are in vogue, Charles certainly offers an appeal that other tight ends in this class can’t.
Unfortunately, the buzz around Charles has taken quite a hit in the past two weeks. After he quietly had some questionable performances at the Combine and then at Georgia’s pro-day, Charles had a much more public DUI arrest last week. Is the arrest indicative of larger character issues, or was it simply an isolated incident of poor judgment?
An Eventful Recruitment
Charles’ recruitment process first took a step into the main stream news cycle when on a visit to the University of Florida, Charles bumped into the Gators’ 2006 national championship, breaking it. It was a light hearted enough story that’s followed him throughout the rest of his career, but it wasn’t the only high profile story that involved Charles’ recruitment.
Before Charles eventually committed to Georgia, he was also coveted by the Miami Hurricanes. Unfortunately, this was during the time that Nevin Shapiro was committing a plethora of recruiting violations. In the NCAA’s report on those incidents, Charles was named as one of the recruits that was brought to Shapiro for a recruiting pitch.
In a story that you’d expect to raise big questions about Charles’ character, it actually could be considered a testament to it. Seemingly countless players gave in and accepted the illegal benefits that Shapiro offered. And even though Charles’ high school team mate Robert Marve is the person who connected Charles and Shapiro, Charles apparently did not accept any illegal benefits from the rogue Miami booster.
A Leader at Georgia
Following a more interesting than expected recruitment, Charles finally ended up at Georgia. While a Bulldog, Charles proved to be a leader by example. He’s quite undersized for a SEC tight end (6’3, 242 lbs), but he relished the opportunities he got to battle in the trenches as a blocker. The surprising strength he displayed at the combine (he put up 35 reps in the bench press) compliments his impressive desire to push defenders around, creating an imposing force not only in the passing game but in the running game as well.
Becoming more than a one trick tight end wasn’t easy for Charles, but the Bulldogs’ coaching staff made it clear that he wouldn’t see the field unless he could do both. During his press conference at the combine, Charles recalled what he learned: “Blocking is just mainly a want-to. You have to want to do it and then it’s just technique. If you have the good technique and the will to do it, you can block anybody.”
His attitude quickly earned him a spot in Georgia’s offense. He caught 23 passes his freshman year, averaged over 16 yards a catch and scored three touchdowns. His dedication and work ethic proved to be contagious and by his junior year his team mates voted him team captain.
Off the field, there were no problems for Charles at Georgia. He avoid any legal troubles, and even earned a spot on the SEC academic honor roll. He elected to forgo his senior season and enter an NFL Draft that had a weak tight end class. Almost instantly, He was put near the front of pack at his position.
A Bump in the Road?
It seemed as though Charles was set to become, at the very worst, an early second round draft pick in April. Teams across the league were interested in his athleticism, and he appeared set to put on a fantastic performance in the combine.
Things started to go wrong for Charles in Indianapolis. The combine started off well for him – he proved he was stronger than expected, recording 35 reps on the bench press. But then it was announced that he wouldn’t be running at the combine. The news came as a big surprise – Charles figured to put up a 40 yard dash time that would serve to separate himself from the other tight ends.
The reason he decided to wait for his pro-day to run was even more surprising. He told reporters that he “got started late in training”, and wasn’t ready to run in Indianapolis. Whether it was due to injury or just procrastination, it seemed very uncharacteristic of a guy known for working hard.
Unfortunately, he didn’t appear to be any more prepared in time for his March 5th pro-day. He put up two extremely underwhelming times of 4.90 and 4.75 seconds in the 40 yard dash. Charles clearly was unhappy with his performance, saying “Running against the wind was kind of discouraging…I heard a couple of my times and I feel like I can do a little better…We just felt like we’d be ready today.” He also repeatedly blamed some strong winds for his disappointing times.
Concerns on the field are one thing, but Charles problems were only increased early Friday morning when he was arrested for driving while under the influence. It’s his first legal trouble, but that doesn’t mean it’s not concerning. Teams aren’t likely going to be worried about him getting into too much trouble off the field – he has a clean record otherwise and it doesn’t appear as though this will be a persistent problem.
What he will have to show to teams now is that he can be relied on. He’s made a series of surprisingly poor choices, whether related to his work outs or his DUI. It’s already hurt his draft stock, but in such a small class of tight ends his stock is still salvageable. Strong private workouts and interviews will go a long way in repairing his standing with teams. It’s not likely that he’ll be able to jump back into the first round, but he still has the talent and over all character to be worthy of a second or third round pick, provided he displays the maturity and accountability he’s been lacking over the last several weeks.
Sources:
Shapiro – Charles connection: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/08/16/ugas-orson-charles-implicated-in-mess-at-miami-reported-by-yahoo-sports/
Orson’s Pro Day Quotes: http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/charles-has-tough-time-1373627.html
Orson’s Combine Quotes: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2012/02/24/nfl-combine-qa-with-ugas-orson-charles/
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