So what Mack Brown is no longer part of the North Carolina Tar Heels program? The present head coach, Bill Belichick, must be grateful to his predecessor. After all, Brown had successfully earned the commitment of JUCO transfer Charleston French back in June last year. At that time, the Tar Heels were in desperate need of a weapon who would have added depth to the team’s running back room. That’s when Charleston came off as a blessing. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound had already put together a strong freshman season at Itawamba Community College. Charleston ran for 924 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Last season, at the Tar Heels, he came up with 84 yards, 10 carries, and 1 touchdown. While North Carolina backed him, he got the support of his two pillars of strength, his parents.

Who are Charleston French’s parents?

Charleston was born on August 4 to Letricia and Rufus French. While we don’t know the exact birth year, the sophomore is around  19 or 20 years old. But through these years, Charleston’s life has been carved out under the guidance of his parents, who are established in their own fields. His father, Rufus French, was an All-American tight end at Ole Miss and played in the NFL. However, Charleston’s mother, Letricia French, is far removed from the world of sports. A graduate from the University of Mississippi, she is the principal at West Amory Elementary School. 

Going by her Facebook profile, her bio reads, “I am a lover of God, a wife, mom ,daughter, sister, aunt, principal, worship leader & entrepreneur!” Scouting through Charleston’s mother’s Facebook profile, one can notice how she is serious about giving back to the community. Balancing her roles as a mother, a wife, and a principal, she never misses a chance to be a part of meaningful events. Her post on June 21 read, “Happy to be in attendance at the Monroe County Training Rosenwald School Historic Marker Unveiling today.  Thank you to Mr. Darden, the MCTS, the WAHS and the Rosenwald School Initiative of Monroe County for commemorating this significant time in educational history.  The West Amory Elementary School building and building site both have such a tremendous history.” This might also inspire Charleston to leave his mark, besides just the world of sports.

Who is Charleston French’s father, Rufus French?

The knack for the football sport seems to have been implanted within Charleston by his father, Rufus. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound star played tight end at Amory, MS (High) and had already picked up the buzz being the top tight end prospect of 1995. He helped to lead Amory to a 15-0 record while winning its second straight Class 3A state championship as the Panthers ended the year ranked first in one state poll. Charleston’s father later played for the Ole Miss between 1996 and 1999. And in those three seasons, Rufus had racked up 84 receptions, 814 yards, and 4 touchdowns. 

While he gave the NFL a shot in 1999, Charleston’s father went undrafted. Later on, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks on August 5, 2001, and was signed by the Green Bay Packers in March 2002. He then switched his career path and went to manage multiple companies specializing in durable medical equipment (DME). 

Who is Charleston French’s mother, Letricia?

While Charleston’s mom, Letricia, could not help him with sports-related advice, that did not stop her from being her son’s biggest cheerleader. While other than being a principal, not much is known about Letricia, but her Facebook profile shows that she never misses a chance to hype Charleston. Her post from May 7 read, “My baby boy is home!!!  We were so grateful to God and happy to see him!  My momma couldn’t stop rejoicing to see him here!  Precious times!!!🩵🩵🩵🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Keep working Kobe!!!  Arkansas State got a good guy!!!”

Letricia was there for Charleston’s spring practice at the UNC camp back in April. One could sense how proud Letricia felt from the caption. “We enjoyed this weekend with our baby boy at the Tar Heels final practice/showcase for the Spring!!!  The entire day was just what the doctor ordered for me, Rufus and Kyra starting with the parent meeting to the actual practice on the new grass field!  Thanking God for safe travels, for time with Charlie and just for HIM being so good! 🩵🩵🩵🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.” She shared snaps of her son hitting the gridiron, followed by Belichick on the stage, interacting with the players. The cover picture of her Facebook profile is Charleston’s picture donning the Tar Heels gear. 

What is the nationality and ethnicity of Charleston French’s parents? 

Charleston’s father, Rufus, and mother, Letricia, hail from Amory, Mississippi. So, by nationality, they are American. However, not much is known about the religion that the Frenchs follow. Neither of them has shared their faith in media or in public forums. Charleston is driven by the love and faith towards the game and humankind that his parents have passed on to him.