SASKATOON — Kendy Charles had never heard of an earthquake until he experienced one of the worst ever recorded.
On Jan. 10, 2010, Charles was eight years old and living with his family in Haiti when the poverty-stricken country was ravaged by a massive quake that registered 7.0 on the Richter scale.
Although his immediate family was spared, more than 100,000 Haitians lost their lives.
“About 15 or 30 minutes after the earthquake, my mom was trying to explain to us what was going on,” Charles, a 24-year-old defensive tackle, recalled after Wednesday’s opening workout of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ rookie camp.
“We were so confused, just seeing the chaos. Everyone was running around, trying to figure out what was going on. There were houses that fell down. People were trying to find their family members under the bricks.
“After the earthquake, we were sleeping outside for at least three or four months, just under the stars. Everyone was scared to go back into their house, because some of the houses had cracks in them. Our house was still standing, but it had a crack straight down, so none of us were going in there.”
At the time, Charles and his four siblings were living with their mother in a small community near Croix-des-Bouquets — located 50 kilometres from the earthquake’s epicentre.
“The aftermath really hit us hard — just finding a way to cook and get clean water and shower outside and everything like that,” Charles said. “You were using old sheets to make a tent to sleep under for the few first few nights.
“It gives you an appreciation for the small things in life.”
And for the big move that followed a year later.
Charles’ father had been living in Orange Park, Fla., for four years before the quake hit.
“He was trying to get us to move to the U.S. legally,” the 6-foot-1, 290-pound lineman said. “After the earthquake, the process went faster.
“It was a gift, honestly. A lot of people in a third-world country, their dream is to move to the United States and get a better life and do better. I knew coming to the United States would give me a chance to reset.
“Even though you were poor and were raised in a different country, you had so many opportunities to get your life started and for your family to change the course of its life for generations to come.
“So when I got to the United States — and especially a beautiful state like Florida — it was just a real experience of happiness. I understood the opportunity that was in front of me and I didn’t take it for granted.
“I will forever be grateful to the U.S. and to Florida and to the people who invest into my life.”
Charles eventually began to invest his time in football. He was a star lineman at Orange Park High School, where he also made 15 of 17 field-goal attempts, before proceeding to the college ranks.
The first stop was at Liberty University, where he crossed paths with Kent Austin. The former Roughriders quarterback and head coach was the Liberty Flames’ co-offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2019 to 2022.
Charles spent four seasons (2020 to 2023) at Liberty before transferring to Duke for his senior year.
He signed with Saskatchewan on May 3, 2025 — four days before last year’s rookie camp opened — and ended up spending the entire season on the practice roster.
Because he did not dress for more than four games, he is eligible for rookie camp once more. The rookies’ workouts continue until Friday at Griffiths Stadium, home of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Main camp, veterans included, begins on Sunday.
“Even on the practice roster, it’s hard to stay with a team all year long,” Head Coach Corey Mace noted when asked about Charles. “He’s a guy we think very highly of and we wanted to make sure we had him back.
“We’re extremely pleased for his opportunity and we’ll see what happens.”
The Roughriders’ roster during its championship season of 2025 included two defensive tackles who, between them, have combined for eight All-CFL nominations (Micah Johnson, five; Mike Rose, three).
Johnson retired shortly after last season and was named the Roughriders’ defensive line coach. Rose signed a new contract during the off-season, as did another formidable defensive tackle — fourth-year Roughrider Caleb Sanders.
Even when you exclude the proven CFL tackles, there is plenty of competition at that position. Charles welcomes the challenge.
“With the guys we have here, anyone they keep is going to be special,” he said.
The goal is to earn an active-roster spot after enduring the rigours of training camp and the pre-season.
It won’t be easy, but Charles has overcome much tougher challenges. Consider everything he and his family endured before moving to Florida.
“That’s what makes you who you are — the things you go through in life,” he said. “There were hectic and crazy experiences, but I use them as a way to talk to people and encourage them. Whatever you go through in life, you can get through it.
“I was just a little boy in Haiti going through those things, and now I’m playing professional football. Before I came to the U.S., I’d never heard of football before.
“Life itself is beautiful … and it’s precious.”
