Here are five things to know about the Chargers' new defensive lineman, Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Reunited with Brandon Staley
Just like his new teammate Khalil Mack, joining the Chargers reunited Joseph-Day with Brandon Staley. The two were together on the Los Angeles Rams when Staley was the team's defensive coordinator for one season.
Joseph-Day explained during his introductory press conference what surprised him about meeting coach Staley for the first time back in 2020.
"I introduced myself and he goes, 'I know who you are.' I was like, 'You do?' He was like, 'Yeah, I know who you are. You're a good player. People don't know about you yet, but people are going to find out about you real quick. You're an up-and-coming, great defensive lineman that people are going to find out about.'"
Joseph-Day explained how much confidence it gave him to hear that from his defensive coordinator.
Attended Rutgers University
Joseph-Day, who grew up in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, received six offers as a three-star recruit out of high school and ultimately decided to continue his football career at Rutgers University.
He earned numerous accolades while at the school including:
- 2017 Homer Hazel Award, given to the team's MVP
- 2017 David Bender Trophy winner, awarded to the top lineman on offense and defense
- 2017 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and was an Academic All-Big Ten.
Host of "Dine N Bash" on YouTube
In December of 2020, Joseph-Day released the first episode of "Dine N Bash" on his YouTube channel. He created the show to not only showcase his love for food in culture, but to highlight small businesses in Los Angeles and give them a voice.
"Dine N Bash" showcases all types of food across L.A. and even highlights the food options available at SoFi Stadium.
Joseph-Day, a journalism and media studies major in college, said he hopes to become an on-air talent and continue to host shows after his time in the NFL.
Co-Host for Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson
Along with "Dine and Bash," Joseph-Day also spends time as a co-host for "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson." Joseph-Day said he got the opportunity to fill in as co-host with Tyson one day and continued to come back to co-host more episodes. Episodes of the show have featured guests including Kevin Hart and T-Pain.
Here's what Joseph-Day said about the opportunity to co-host with Tyson.
"It's lit. Mike's a good dude. He's a great guy. It's fun. It's great experience for me for what I want to do after I'm done playing. I'm just blessed with the fact that he trusts me to do it with him. It's been an honor. Mike's an icon. He's an incredible athlete, but an even better person. He's a good dude, too. Very intelligent.
Gives back to community & credits parents for passion
While Sebastian-Day was born and raised in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, his parents were born in Haiti and taught him the importance of giving back to the community.
"The community is our future," Joseph-Day said at his introductory press conference. "That's a huge thing that I've been brought up on, my parents always harped on that. I felt like, obviously, what I've done here shouldn't have been short-finished. L.A. is such a beautiful place with so many beautiful pockets. In essence, the community is the most important thing for the future generation."
On July 23, 2021, Joseph-Day launched 'Bashing Hunger' which is "a charitable initiative that focuses on combating food insecurity by increasing food rescue, raising money and awareness as well as providing nutritional education," according to his website.
Since entering the NFL, Joseph-Day has also partnered with Meals on Wheels and became an official ambassador on behalf of Special Olympics Haiti. He also donated $15,000 to front-line workers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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