Clifford Charlton

Clifford Charlton

No. 58
Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: February 16, 1965 (1965-02-16) (age 46)
Place of birth: Tallahassee, Florida
High School: Leon High School Tallahassee, Florida
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College: University of Florida
NFL Draft: 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Debuted in 1988 for the Cleveland Browns
Last played in 1989 for the Cleveland Browns
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1988–1989)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-SEC (1986, 1987) First-team All-American (1987)
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Clifford Tyrone Charlton (born February 16, 1965) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons in the late 1980s. Charlton played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL.

Early years

Charlton was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1965.^[1] He attended Leon High School in Tallahassee,^[2] where he was a standout high school football player for the Leon Lions.

College career

Charlton received 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.^[3] 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.^[3] He was also a first-team All-SEC selection in 1986 and 1987, and a first-team All-American and team captain in 1987.^[3] 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.^[3]

Charlton graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1988.

Professional career

Charlton was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft with the twenty-first overall pick,^[4] and he played in thirty-one games for the Browns during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.^[5] 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

	American football portal
	Biography portal
	College football portal

• 1987 College Football All-America Team
• Florida Gators
• Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
• History of the Cleveland Browns
• List of Cleveland Browns first-round draft picks
• List of Florida Gators football players
• List of University of Florida alumni

References

1. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Clifford Charlton. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
2. ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Clifford Charlton. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 92, 96, 98, 124, 153–154, 180 (2011). Retrieved August 28, 2011.
4. ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1988 National Football League Draft. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
5. ^ National Football League, Historical Players, Clifford Charlton. Retrieved March 16, 2011.

Bibliography

• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0794822983.
• 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., 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 1-57167-196x.

Persondata
Name	Charlton, Clifford
Alternative names	Charlton, Clifford Tyrone; Charlton, Clifford T.
Short description	All-American college football player, professional football player, linebacker
Date of birth	February 16, 1965
Place of birth	Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Date of death
Place of death