![]() Jamaal proved a special talent from the beginning. We’re still building our relationship even now.” Me and my momma have a strong relationship. “My mom started me out with football at four years old,” he recalls. It was also through sports that he and his mother built a unique bond. With the encouragement of his mother Sharon - herself a two-sport high school athlete - Jamaal was enrolled in several sports at a young age. One place where Jamaal was always felt comfortable and safe was in athletics. I raced against other people in my class who thought they were faster than me, and it helped me.” SAFETY IN SPORTS It just took us out of the classroom and let us compete. I was out there with people just like me. “That was our only trip,” he said. “It wasn’t anything serious. It began a relationship with the Special Olympics that he has maintained to this day. The one trip he did get to take each year was to the Special Olympics, where he competed against peers suffering from the same learning disability. He was placed in special education classes, which often left him excluded from field trips and other activities his peers enjoyed. It took even longer to get help. In the fifth grade, Jamaal was told he was at a second grade reading level. It wasn’t until Jamaal was in the third grade that he discovered he had a learning disability. People are saying, ‘He can’t read’ or ‘He doesn’t know how to pronounce words.’ It hurt me.” “When you have to stand up in front of the class and you’re struggling, it’s hard. He had trouble maintaining focus, and that made pronouncing and spelling words difficult. For as long as he can remember, the most difficult parts of school for Jamaal were some of the areas that came quickly to other kids. ![]() The jabs came not only from his older siblings and cousins, but also from classmates. Getting picked on was common for Jamaal growing up. ![]() My cousins would tease on me and she was always there to have my back, and tell them, ‘Leave him alone!’ She would tell me, ‘Don’t listen to them.’ I think she really was my guardian angel.” She praised me when I did well and she was mad at me when I did bad. “She was there for me so much early in my life. Mazelle built and shared a special bond with Jamaal, the youngest member of the family. The day began with church in the morning, and ended with dinner at Big Momma’s house. Jamaal recalled how, early in his life, everything revolved around spending time at his grandparents’ house, particularly on Sundays. ![]() Mazelle Miller kept things in order for the entire family. The matriarch of the family was his grandmother, Mazelle, known to all the children as “Big Momma.” From those nine children came 32 grandchildren. Sharon was one of nine children of Jamaal’s grandparents, Mazelle and Oscar Miller. Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles was born on December 27, 1986, raised in Port Arthur, Texas, by a single mother, Sharon Charles, and a large, closely knit family. JC eventually turned that outlet into a means to support his family, and a platform to help children facing the same challenges he overcame. Living with a learning disability initially set Jamaal apart from his peers, but when his undeniable athletic talent shined through, it gave a young Jamaal an outlet. For Jamaal Charles, the path to becoming one of the best running backs in the NFL was lined with adversity. Life presents each person with different obstacles. ![]()
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