Karl Joseph

Karl Joseph's Biography

Karl Myrthell Joseph, born on the 8th of September, 1993, is an American football professional renowned for his role as a safety player. Throughout his football career, Joseph has played as a free agent as well as for other teams, including the Oakland Raiders and the Cleveland Browns.

Joseph grew up in Orlando, Florida, where he attended Edgewater High School and soon discovered his passion for American football. After honing his football skills in high school, Joseph committed to West Virginia University, where he further rose to prominence playing college football.

As a true freshman at West Virginia in 2012, Joseph displayed incredible prowess on the field, starting all 13 games and scoring 104 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack. The following year marked a similarly triumphant season for Joseph, where he once again started all games and noted 68 tackles and one interception.

In 2014, Joseph’s junior year, he again started all 13 games, recording 92 tackles and one interception. Sadly, his senior year in 2015 came to an abrupt halt after a season-ending knee injury, but not before he had led the nation with five interceptions.

Joseph’s prolific college career foreshadowed a promising transition to professional football. After leaving West Virginia, the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts projected him as a second or third round pick. However, a knee injury he sustained in October restricted his performance at the NFL combine, where he only participated in the bench press and meetings.

Despite this setback, Joseph’s career gained momentum during West Virginia’s pro day, where his performance caught the eye of all 32 NFL teams, including Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. This eventually led to his selection by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. Joseph later signed a fully guaranteed four-year contract with the Raiders, the first agreement of what would be a prolific career.

In his professional debut season, he made significant contributions to the Raiders, scoring impressive tackles and making his first career interception. Despite a toe injury that sidelined him for the last four games of his rookie season, Joseph ranked highly among safeties, both in overall performance and coverage.

A critical point in his career came in 2017, as Joseph continued to prove his worth on the Raiders’ team. However, injuries continued to dog Joseph, causing him intermittent absences from the field. Nonetheless, his performances, when fit, were stellar, earning him the reputation as a dependable safety player.

In the following years, Joseph’s journey in professional football saw him transition from the Raiders to the Cleveland Browns in a one-year contract signed in April 2020. Though initially placed on the physically unable to perform list, Joseph quickly resumed active status, and in Week 3 against the Washington Football Team, he recorded his first interception as part of the Browns.

After his stint with the Browns, Joseph moved through various teams as an unrestricted free agent. His stops included a return to the Raiders, a short stint with the Steelers, and then a return to the Steelers, where he re-signed in March 2022. Unfortunately, an ankle injury placed him on injured reserve later that year in August.

Off the field, Joseph is proud of his Haitian heritage, which he believes significantly influences his approach to life and football. Despite physical setbacks throughout his career, Joseph’s story stands as a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and an unwavering love for the game of football.