Local takes on the Super Bowl

Local couple’s grandson plays for the Saints

Charleston wraps up Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 24. AP Photo

But many folks in Del Norte County’s version of Crescent City will be Saints fans Sunday, thanks to local connections.

Jeff Charleston, 27, is a backup defensive end who also sees a lot of playing time on special teams. He played his college ball at Western Oregon and Idaho State. He joined the Saints in 2008 after once playing for their Super Bowl opponents, the Indianapolis Colts.

His grandparents are Charles and Lucille Charleston, longtime local residents. His father John was born and raised in Crescent City and is a 1969 Del Norte High School graduate.

Charles, 82, a retired logger, said it’s a dream come true to know when he turns on the TV to watch the Super Bowl (3:25 p.m., CBS), his grandson will be one of the players on the field gunning for that elusive title.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” Charles said. “He’s shown how hard work has gotten him this far. It’s a million to one shot to make it to the NFL ... I’m terribly proud of my grandson.”

John Charleston, who lives in the Independence, Ore., area said everyone in his family is excited.

“Jeff has been blessed,” his father said in a telephone interview. “It was a dream of his to make it in the NFL and now he’s made it to a Super Bowl. God has blessed him.”

“Words can’t describe how high of a cloud we are all on,” John added. “It’s surreal.”

Charles Charleston was able to talk to his grandson shortly after the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game Jan. 24.

“We congratulated him and told him we were proud of him and that he had one more game to go,” Charles said. “He’s really excited to have this opportunity.”

In that game, he saw action on several plays and tackled Viking quarterback Brett Favre.

In a Jan. 25 story in the Idaho State Journal of Pocatello, Jeff Charleston talked about pressuring Favre.

“I’ve always wanted to get a sack on him, but at least I got to hit him,” he said in the article. “It was nice. If there’s any one quarterback you want to sack, it’s Favre, because you don’t get  many chances.”

Jeff was born in Oregon City, Ore., in 1983 and later moved  to Atlanta, said his father John, a computer engineer.

Jeff actually started playing football when he was in kindergarten. John said that it’s common for kids to have such an early start on the gridiron in the South.

“That’s why the SEC is so strong,” John said, referring to the college football conference. “He was always big for his age and played on the offense and defensive line.”

In 1993 the family moved back to Oregon. Jeff became a standout player at Central High School in Independence. For three years he played football at nearby Western Oregon, a Division II school.  One of his teammates was Kevin Boss, who is now a tight end with the New York Giants. He eventually transferred to Idaho State in Pocatello. As a senior in 2005 he had 12 sacks and 56 tackles and was voted defensive and newcomer player of the year in the Big Sky Conference.

He went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans and was cut in 2006.

In 2007 he signed with the Indianapolis Colts and started three games. He finished with 42 tackles and a sack but was waived. He was picked up a short time later by the Saints and played 10 games in 2008. In 2009 he played in all 16 games, mainly on special teams and finished the regular season with 10 tackles.

Jeff received six Super bowl tickets and John will be going. He left Oregon for Miami on Thursday morning.

Charles was invited by his son to go to the game, but decided that due to family health concerns his place was at home.

While he would have loved to have gone to the Super Bowl, he said that it’s OK. After all, his son bought him a high-definition TV for Christmas and he recently got satellite service, so he has been able to watch all of his grandson’s games this season.

John has been able to make it to many of his son’s games, including the NFC Championship. Another highlight was a home game victory against the New England Patriots on John’s birthday.

“It was a gift from heaven,” he said.

 John has gotten to know some of the other Saints players and coaches and noted the team has become an inspiration for a city that is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. In the Idaho State Journal article, Jeff talked a little about this.

“It’s huge,” he said. “Where our practice facility is, there’s a  preschool. The kids out there, we heard them chanting all week. Just to see the kids in this community, kind of giving them hope, it’s amazing. Everyone’s spirits are so lifted. Once it comes Sunday, crime stops, everything stops. When we’re winning, it’s even better.”

A highlight for John was when he met the Saints’ star quarterback, Drew Brees. “He has just welcomed Jeff,” he said. “He told me that Jeff is one of our hardest workers we have out there.”

Brees signed one half of John’s Saints hat. The other half was signed by  his son.

“That’s pretty special,” John  said.