Raiders Safety Joseph Hopes to Use Football to Help Native Haiti

A large tattoo from Karl Joseph's left shoulder through the center of his back, a detailed emblem also featured on the Haitian flag.

Joseph was born in the impoverished island nation and raised there 11 years before moving to Orlando, Fla. with his mother. That formative period helped define the Raiders safety's work ethic, commitment to family and his roots.

Joseph hasn't forgotten it. Haiti remains a part of him, bonded by a connection expressed well beyond body art.

That's where he spent one of life's biggest moments, shunning the spotlight to be with relatives in Haiti when the Raiders selected him No. 14 overall in the 2016 NFL4. That was celebration of where he came from on the day he became wealthy beyond childhood dreams.

"It keeps me grounded," Joseph said on NBC Sports Bay Area's Raiders Insider Podcast. "That's one of the reasons I went back for my draft party. Anytime I get a chance to go back, I take it. It makes you appreciate the little things you have, the luxuries you often take for granted. It also makes me hungrier to work hard, play well and give back. Every time I go the memories come flooding back, which hits the reset button for me. It gets ready to come back here, ready to work."

Joseph frequently visits family in his native Jacmel, a port town off Haiti's southern coast. He went back again this spring, but not on holiday.

He joined former Seahawks defensive lineman Cliff Avril's annual pilgrimage to Haiti, which is more than a fundraiser and photo opp. This group goes to work.

They helped build a school, supply a health clinic and run a football camp. They met with Haiti president Jovenel Moise, discussing issue pressing a beautiful in need of help for its poorest people.

"That's one of the main reasons I was excited to go on this trip," Joseph said of the weeklong charitable venture. "I've seen some of the work he had done out there, and I was ready to get involved. A lot of people go out there and put their name on stuff, but few want to interact with the people and get their hands dirty."

Joseph broke from the pack late in the trip to visit family still living in Jacmel. They toured the now rundown house Joseph grew up in, a moment, among others, chronicled on his Instagram page.

Joseph plans to join Avril's trip each year, and eventually start his own foundation focused on helping bring awareness, funds and infrastructure to Haiti.

He understands that performing well will help that cause.

"I have to continue to do my part on the field," Joseph said. "The better I play, the more I contribute to Raiders victories, the more people will pay attention. I need to use that to shine a light on issues in the country I grew up in."

Joseph believes he can reach new heights working with new head coach Jon Gruden and staff. The safety has played well in spurts, but doesn't believe vast potential has been reached.

"I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface yet," Joseph said. "I feel like I have so much room for improvement in every aspect of my game. I've improved my mental game this offseason, and fit into this new defense. We've come a long way as a group, and that I've made strides personally. I'm going to keep pushing, even during the down period. I have such high expectations for myself. I'm excited about the season. People haven't even seen the real Karl Joseph yet."

The real Karl Joseph is a thumper, someone who can play deep and aggressive near the line of scrimmage. He's part of a safety group that also features Marcus Gilchrist and Reggie Nelson, and will have a chance to thrive in Paul Guenther's defense.

That would help the Raiders win and bring attention to Joseph and the place he's commitment to helping.

"Football is my platform to give back there," Joseph said. "That's my purpose in life, to be able to make this an opportunity to shine light on issues (in Haiti) and give back. I cherish the chance to go back and see the place where I was born and family that was around during a critical time in my life. It's a special place to me."

By: Scott Bair for nbcbayrea.com | June 11, 2018

From Haiti for Shady: Bills have an unsung hero, and punches the clock

As a freshman in high school, Vladimir Ducasse​ was starting to play more basketball and less soccer, his favorite sport growing up.After all, a child in Haiti, Port-Au-Prince to be exact, is expected to embrace the sport.Today, at 6-foot-5, 329 pounds, the Buffalo Bills are glad they have this athletic, gifted American Football player on the left side of the offensive line.Ducasse, left Haiti with his brother for Miami in 2002, wound up at a high school in Connecticut. Despite being raw, he played at the University of Massachusetts before being drafted by the Jets.He’s a long way from Haiti, and his workmanlike approach to football fits in perfect with what Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is trying to accomplish.After practice this week, Ducasse stayed a few minutes extra to work on technique then went to the locker room alone, took his practice jersey and blue rib vest, his undershirt soaked with sweat.This was a guy preparing for a playoff game. He isn’t caught up in the 17-year playoff drought by the Bills or any of the storylines. He is an 8th-year veteran on his fifth team.“I’ve been sleeping and getting rest,” he said when asked about the hype surounding the city of Buffalo. “I’ve been driving home and coming back to work. From the minute we got here (for training camp), our head coach said, ‘Trust the Process’ and we are. We’ve had ups and downs but we’ve stuck together.”During an interview with the Batavia Daily News, Ducasse, or Vlad as players and coaches call him, doesn’t talk about his upbringing in Haiti, rather with his unique accent talks about the line coming together each week, setting records with running back LeSean McCoy.“When you have someone like Shady it makes your job easier, but whoever is back theRe, they all understand the game, I mean everyone knows what they are doing and it makes it easier,” he said, pausing for a moment, maybe realizing the magnitude of the playoffs, and said, “Every week we were getting closer and closer, it is a great group.”Defensive end Kyle Williams scored a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins last week and Ducasse made a devastating block to allow Williams to run in untouched.“I remember my time with the Jets, I played against him, he was always at a high level, I have tremendous respect for him,” he said. “Anytime you have a guy like Kyle - he’s been here so long - when he’s lining up that play, you know he’s going in!”So how does a guy make it from Haiti to an unsung hero on the Bills?“Some of my teammates in high school during my sophomore year, when I got up to 275 pounds said ‘hey, you should come out here.’ So I did, and the rest of history,” he said.So is the game Sunday.But don’t tell Vlad, he’s too busy working.THE DAILY NEWS - SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2018