(Winnipeg) Charleston Rambo isn’t just spectacular in name. His standout style, his presence on the field and his ability to make all sorts of catches are just as spectacular. That’s why the Alouettes’ rookie receiver went from anonymous to Austin Mack’s potential replacement in just a few weeks.
Let’s start with a little background.
February 13 – The Montreal Alouettes hire veteran Tevin Jones to compensate for the departure of their number one receiver. Cody Fajardo, Jones’ former teammate in Saskatchewan, struggles to contain himself when he tells members of the media how excited he is about the arrival of someone who has also been through four NFL organizations. The team’s number one receiver position was filled.
May 11 – The Alouettes, to fill out jerseys at training camp, reach an agreement with different players. Free agents, draft picks and players from American colleges. Among them, a certain Charleston Rambo. The former University of Oklahoma and Miami universities, two of the most prestigious programs in the United States, arrives at camp without certainty, like all the other invited players wanting to carve out a position. A bit like a young artist at the auditions for The Fabulous History of a Kingdom.
June 1 – The Alouettes cut Jones, but retain the services of Rambo. A scenario that no one could have banked on in mid-May. But Rambo deserved this chance. He’s been smoking hot throughout camp. Every time we called on him, he was brilliant.
With a name like that, the opposite would have been surprising. Additionally, to add to his growing legend, he changed his assigned number 76 to number 14. The number worn by Jones in training camp…
On the eve of his first CFL game, La Presse went to meet him at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. Rambo arrived at Canada’s loudest stadium alongside Cody Fajardo, Marc-Antoine Dequoy and Tyson Philpot.
And if he is flamboyant on the field, it is quite the opposite when he is not wearing a helmet and shoulder pads. Surprisingly, he is rather shy, he refuses to take up too much space and he follows the ranks like a good student. When you talk to him, he stands up straight, like a well-disciplined soldier, and he always responds affirmatively with a “yes, sir.”
In his ensemble in the colors of the Alouettes, from the cap to the jogging pants, Rambo first says that his name is Charleston because his father, to whom he “doesn’t really speak anymore today”, is named Charles. But the name Charleston Rambo sounds so good that the 24-year-old named his soon-to-be 3-year-old son Charleston Rambo II.
Originally from Dallas, the Alouettes receiver grew up admiring the Cowboys players. “Football is crazy there. The Cowboys are America’s team. Dallas is the Texas team, you can’t get behind the Texans,” he jokes, laughing like Kawhi Leonard.
After three seasons at Oklahoma, where he played with Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb, he opted to test the market and enter the transfer portal in 2021. “Miami was truly my dream school. A lot of teams approached me, but my heart was with Miami and I knew that was the program I wanted to go to. »
His trials with the Carolina Panthers in 2022 and with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 having been unsuccessful, he is now in the nest.
In the way he creates space, catches the ball and attacks angles, Rambo has a bit of Larry Fitzgerald, De’Andre Hopkins and Odell Beckahm Jr. Obviously, these comparisons in no way suggest that Rambo will enjoy the same career, fame and recognition as these three stars, but it does show how spectacular and effective he can be on the field.
“I don’t watch the NFL much, but all these players were good a few years ago. I am the present. I want to be me. I want to be Charleston Rambo. I want to be the best,” he responds to this remark.
His real hero is his older brother, who died a year ago: “The best athlete I saw and could draw inspiration from was my brother. He was two years older than me, but every time he played football he was the best. »
Upon his arrival at camp, quarterback Cody Fajardo noticed Rambo’s unique skills.
Of course, even though he has to prove himself in the Canadian League, Rambo still dreams of the NFL. ” No doubt. I have a lot of friends who are there. I dream about it all the time. »
But for a kid who attended a Catholic school in Texas where “there were no sports teams, only physical education classes,” getting paid to play football is a luxury. “Except you can lose your job, you can lose your position. In fact, you have a lot more to lose. »
This precariousness will force him to surpass himself. In fact, he will mainly try to write a story that he can tell to his children. “I come from a large family. Almost everyone is older. Everyone has a story to tell and I wanted to be able to tell mine one day. »
And if a story is written by an author named Charleston Rambo, it’s hard to believe that it will remain unknown.
