Ori Jean-Charles is a former college football player who believes his athletic training has uniquely positioned him as a contestant on “Survivor 51.”
According to the Times Union, he is a former University at Albany football player. “I played sports my whole life,” he said on the show. “One of my big things was, do your job. When the opportunity presents itself, make a play.”
The comments impressed host Jeff Probst. “That’s a pretty good locker room speech, I’ve got to say, right there,” Probst responded, according to New York Upstate. Today, Jean-Charles, 27, is a personal trainer.
Where Did Ori Jean-Charles Play Football?
Ori Jean-Charles had a lengthy career for three different teams in the world of college football.
He “began as a quarterback at Louisville, where he was a teammate of future Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson, then transferred to Maine,” according to New York Upstate. “After tearing his ACL in a 2021 game against UAlbany, Jean-Charles transferred to the Great Danes.”
His Maine bio says, “Appeared in all 12 games, playing on both sides of the ball at linebacker and tight end while also assisting on special teams.”
The bio explains his high school career: “Spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Louisville, seeing action in two games on special teams for the Cardinals … was a dual-threat quarterback during his time as a high school star at Spring Valley high school … In his junior season at Spring Valley, threw for 1,429 yards and 20 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,009 yards and five scores.”
Ori Jean-Charles Made 116 Tackles for the University of Albany
The University of Albany bio page for Jean-Charles gives the following facts about his football career there. In 2023, the last year listed, it says:
- All-CAA Second Team Defense
- Phil Steele All-CAA Second Team
- “Appeared in 15 contests.”
- “Made 116 tackles (67 solo, 49 assisted) with 5.0 sacks.”
- “Made nine solo tackles at Morgan State (9.23).”
- “Made two tackles for a total loss of 19 yards and forced a fumble against Villanova (9.30).”
- “Made 17 total tackles, including seven solo, at Towson (10.07).”
- “Named to the Fall 2023 CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.”
That page says that he is from Spring Valley, NY, and he graduated from Spring Valley High School. He is also on Instagram. On that page, where has just a few thousand followers, he describes himself as a “Survivor Performance Coach.”
He describes himself as “book smart” and “street smart” in his “Survivor 51” bio. “I’m a former pro athlete,” he writes. “So it’s one of these things where I’m, like, made for Survivor.” He is positioning himself as a fitness coach on his Instagram page.
“As a former Division I athlete, 2x All-Conference selection, and All-American, I developed the discipline, resilience, leadership, and team-first mindset required to perform at the highest levels,” he says on his LinkedIn page. “Those same principles now drive my work helping individuals, organizations, and communities achieve measurable growth through strategy, accountability, and purposeful action.”
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Ori Jean-Charles on ‘Survivor 51’: All About His Football Career