Raiders edge rusher talks CNN interview, fight for NFL roster spot

He played just six NFL snaps in three seasons before this year. He has spent the majority of his time as a professional football player on practice squads.

Snowden was given an opportunity by the Raiders this year when fellow defensive end Malcolm Koonce went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Snowden took advantage, as his fourth-quarter sack of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson clinched a 20-16 victory at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 29.

The 26-year-old, who was undrafted in 2021 out of the University of Virginia, studied political science in college. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound lineman was also an accomplished basketball player in high school at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.

The Review-Journal sat down with Snowden this week to learn a little more about him:

RJ: Why was it so important for you to be involved in the political process with the recent presidential election? You were interviewed on both CNN and local television stations.

Snowden: “I just think it’s important to express your voice. It’s our responsibility in our democracy to take part in it. A lot of people throughout the course of history that looked like me went through a lot to ensure we had a voice. It’s important to exercise it.”

RJ: How much did your faith in yourself throughout the journey help your pursuit of an NFL roster spot?

Snowden: “A lot. You have to believe in yourself. There are always going to be talented guys and so you have to maintain your confidence. Other guys are going to make plays and you’re not always going to be perfect. But always believe and get better every day.”

RJ: Where does your positive attitude come from?

Snowden: “Honestly, I just have so many great people in my life, from my family to my friends. I just have such a great circle around me. I genuinely believe I can do anything to be successful. People have always believed in me and supported me. Just working hard every day and seeing the results.”

RJ: Are you playing the best football of your life right now?

Snowden: “Definitely. It’s the most consistent I’ve played in the NFL. Just having coaches and teammates that believe in me. I just continue to improve every day. Being intentional, getting one percent better every day of my career is paying off.”

RJ: The best thing about the University of Virginia?

Snowden: “Where do I start? It has to be the people. It’s a special group. Everyone is caring, fun, smart. I’m biased. A highly intelligent school. The best university in the country.”

RJ: You also had scholarship offers for basketball coming out of high school. Why football?

Snowden: “All my offers for basketball were at pretty small schools and so I remember saying to my dad, ‘I’d rather play football in front of 60,000 people instead of basketball in front of 2,000.’”

RJ: How did basketball help you become a great football player?

Snowden: “I think basketball helped me a lot being this size. Being able to move in space and having that lateral quickness and ability to jump and run. Just that hand-eye coordination. My college football coach who was recruiting me said, ‘Charles, there are thousands of players like you playing basketball. There are not many guys like you playing football.’ So I sat back with that one and the decision became pretty easy.”

RJ: What has your NFL journey taught you the most?

Snowden: “To be persistent. One thing it has really taught me is that hard work doesn’t really guarantee success, but if you work hard and do things the right way, you’ll be able to live with the results when all things shake themselves out.”

RJ: Best thing about Las Vegas?

Snowden: “Oh, boy. Let’s see. I would say the best thing is that — hot take here — I don’t like the rain. And it doesn’t rain much here. At least I haven’t seen much of it. Not at all.”

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.