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

UAE go down fighting against Haiti

MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The UAE fought hard but lost 1-0 to Haiti in a friendly match at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Friday. Significantly, this was the first assignment for new coach Alberto Zaccheroni and would have given him an ample idea about work to be done in defence.After the initial moments taken to settle down, both teams played some sublime football. Teams went forward looking for gaps to find a way to score.The UAE had the first attempt on goal. It was a three-pass try with Omar Abdulrahman finding Ahmed Al Hashmi, who set it up for Amer Abdulrahman but the final delivery lacked bite.Minutes later the Haitians made the home side pay dearly for the missed chance.It was a crafty goal orchestrated by Derrick Etienne, who waded past at least five players to find Kevin Lafrance, who passed onto striker Duckens Nazon in the box. The Coventry City striker's ripper rebounded from the woodwork to hit Mahmoud Khamees and back into the goal as keeper Khalid Eisa stood helpless.Following the strike, the UAE responded with vigour. There were long-range posers from Mahmoud Khamees and 'Amoory' but Haiti defence and keeper Johny Placide were up to the task.Both teams had set a tight defence and worked offside traps well. There were no more goals in the half. After the break, the UAE started with a blitz but were unlucky.Mohanad Salem had a powerful header crash into the post. Later Khamis Esmaeel's volley struck the woodwork. Omar tested Haiti goal with a curling free kick. And at the stroke of an hour, his shot rebounded from the post.A 64-minute effort encapsulated the UAE's unlucky outing. A rampaging Walid Abbas had a decent shot blocked by keeper and the rebound fell onto Omar's leg but the talisman couldn't find target from inside the box. The UAE maintained pressure, were consistent but Haiti defence and timber denied an equaliser.At the other end, an alert Khalid Eisa kept a goal-bound shot. The UAE had to change the trend and introduction of young Khalfan Mubarak and Tariq Ahmed spiced up the mix. And in the dying minutes, Khamees almost made amends with a thunderous long-ranger but the ball whizzed past the right post. There were more chances, long and close, and a last-minute header from Mohanad Salem too but there was no equaliser.The UAE kept knocking on the door and even tried to break in but were denied by Haiti defence, keeper and skipper Placide and resolute woodwork. The UAE next play Uzbekistan on Tuesday.By MENAFN | November10, 2017

Fighters Make Weight for Gala in Haiti

Haitian lightweight Evens Pierre (28-1, 18 KOs) weighed in the limit of the division to defend his WBA Fedelatin title against Mexican Jesus Laguna (21-10-2, 18 KOs) who needed an extra hour to make 135 pounds at the official ceremony held at Royal Oasis Hotel.Pierre’s fourth defense of the regional belt heads the Gala Des Champions III event promoted by Jacques Deschamps Fils’ Boxe Internationale on Thursday Night at the Karibe Convention Center in Port Au Prince, Haiti which includes other two regional titles.Superwelter Wilky Campfort (23-3, 12 KOs), also a Haitian native, weighed at 154 pounds to risk his Fedelatin belt against Venezuelan Jean Carlos Prada (33-4-1, 23 KOs) who hit the scale half a pound under the limit.On a special attraction, two World ranked light flyweights, Panamanian Gilberto Pedroza (17-3-2, 8 KOs) and Mexican Saul Juarez (23-6-1, 12 KOs) fight for the vacant WBA Fedecaribe title.Pablo Vicente 132 vs Pedro Verdu 132.5Fernando Piña 153 vs Adrian Perez 152Roger Gutierrez 134 vs Brayner Vasquez 134Melissa Saint Vil 132 vs Diana Garcia 140Both camps agreed to fight if Garcia doesn’t exceed 145 pounds on Thursday 9:30 amBy: Héctor Villarreal for Fightnews.com | October 25, 2017

China Donates To Haiti

On Wednesday July 5th in the annex of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) to Frères, Mario Florvil the Director General of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, in the presence of the executives of the Directorate of Physical and Sports Activities (DAPS) of the Ministry, received from Ling Jun, the Permanent Representative of the China Trade Development Bureau in Haiti, a donation of sports equipments and materials as part of bilateral cooperation Haiti - People's Republic of China.The donation consisted of 18 lots of sports equipment, including balls, jerseys, football boots, basketball and volleyball, sports socks, nets, trophies.Mario Florvil welcomed China's initiative "This aid comes at a time when the Haitian government through the MJSAC wants to give another direction and a new breath to the sport sector," considering that Haiti greatly needs all the forms of support that can enable it to support sport, whose development represents a priority for the new government, ensuring that its Ministry will make good use of these materials.Ling Jun hopes that these materials will contribute to the improvement of the conditions of training and the physical constitution of the young Haitians. Reaffirming the importance that China attaches to physical and sports development before evoking the Haitian Ministry's desire to return sport to school.HL

Aggie athletes headed to Haiti on mission trip this weekend

A year ago, at the suggestion of graduate transfer quarterback Trevor Knight, who had made the trip multiple times before, several Texas A&M athletes went on a mission trip to Haiti over the summer.A year ago, Director of Player Development Mikado Henson talked about how the trip came to be.“When Trevor Knight transferred from Oklahoma, I told him about the trip and it is the same organization that takes OU. He’s been there three times and he told me, ‘Mikado, I’m an Aggie, but I’m going back to Haiti whether it is with A&M or OU. I’m going back.’ Jake Hubenak is going back and I don’t care whether you are scholarship or not, offense or defense, black or white. We’ve got 15 football players signed up and we’ve all had to raise money."Fifteen football players, 12 volleyball players and one soccer player made the trip. The football players included the likes of Knight, Hubenak, Myles Garrett, Daeshon Hall, Josh Reynolds, Otaro Alaka and Koda Martin.Now, a year later, there will be 67 athletes from A&M making the same trip."About ten percent of our student athlete population is going with us this year," Hinson recently told KBTX. "We'll do a lot of painting of homes, delivering goats as a form of income and stewardship. Building, painting, planting... We told them we'll bring plenty of manpower."It's amazing to see what we get to do there, but it's even more amazing to see what happens in us," Hinson said. He remarked that students returned last year with a renewed since of humility and brotherhood. "It's an eye opener."The group will be leaving on Sat., May 13 and will return a week later on May 20. With most athletes having to take summer school in order to work out with their sports over the summer, the group going on the Haiti trip will be giving up almost all of their summer vacation.Brian Perroni - May 10, 2017