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Family Matters: Carter a father on,off field
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Jessica Hines | The Appalachian
Carter with his son Xavier, 8 months, and daughter Keyanna, 2. |
by Amanda Fowler
Staff Writer
Having what many call an aggressive playing style, Jerelle Carter, senior linebacker for Appalachian State University’s football team, leaves Kidd Brewer Stadium after a hard day of practice.
But he’s not going out with the guys now; he’s going home … to see his children.
Carter is father to daughter Keyanna, 2, and son Xavier, who will turn 8 months next week.
“Seeing my kids everyday means the world to me,” Carter said.
However, being a father can be a full-time job in itself, so after adding college football player and student into the mix, Carter is more than busy.
His typical day begins when he wakes up for 7 a.m. weight lifting.
Afterward, it’s back home for breakfast before classes from 9-10 a.m. From 12-2 p.m., Carter teaches two fitness classes, Strong Women and Water Aerobics.
When he’s done teaching, Carter heads to the field house for meetings at 2:30 p.m.
Later, there is football practice. That can run anywhere from 4-7 p.m.
After practice, it’s home for dinner. This is also when Carter is able to spend some precious time with Keyanna and Xavier.
“Once I leave practice I leave it here on the field,” Carter said.
Later, the children get their baths and are put to bed.
“Just seeing them makes me soft,” Carter said. “The coaches basically told me that ever since I’ve had kids I’ve been soft. I just get all cuddly inside.”
Once Keyanna and Xavier are in bed, it’s time to watch game film for the rest of the evening. Then it’s to bed before getting up the next morning to repeat the process.
Even summers do not give Carter time to rest.
Last summer saw him going full blast from 6 a.m. until midnight.
Monday through Thursday, Carter lifted weights with football teammates from 6-8 a.m. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. he had an internship at the Health Promotions Office followed by working from 6 p.m. to midnight at Lowe’s Home Improvement Store.
Friday, the beginning of the weekend for most Americans, was one of Carter’s busiest days. He worked at Lowe’s from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I lost a lot of weight because I didn’t get much sleep,” Carter said. “When I did have free time, I didn’t eat anything, all I wanted to do was sleep. The weight just kept coming off. I was taking weight gainers all day long, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drinking glasses of whole milk. I just had to persevere through it all.”
Although he remains so busy, there is only one thing Carter wishes he had more time for – his family.
“It’s [being a father] a unique experience, especially being a father during college,” Carter said. “It’s taught me to enjoy life more. Take everyday one day at a time and I try to spend as much time with them [the kids] as I can.”
Keyanna is already becoming quite the football fan.
“When football comes on TV she’d just sit there and watch football, and she wouldn’t say a word,” Carter said. “She’s just quiet and sits there and watches the whole game.”
While Carter has undoubtedly learned a great deal on the football field, he has learned even more off of it.
“There are definitely things in life that are more important than you are,” Carter said.
Although Carter makes the transition from aggressive football player to father daily, having children has not compromised his playing style.
“He’s always been a hardnosed player and he came in here as a hothead,” senior offensive lineman Brian Billings said.
Billings and Carter both walked on to the team as freshman.
“Since he’s had kids he’s softened up a little but he’s still a tenacious player. It never affected his game,” Billings said.
Carter is still unsure about his post-graduation plans. He will try to find a job within his major, health promotions, although much is still undecided at this point.
But, no matter how indefinite his situations may be there is one constant in Jerelle Carter’s life: the love of his family.
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Peter Larkins | Chief Photographer
Carter was a walk-on to ASU's football program. He red-shirted his freshman year. |
By Brad Norman
Senior Staff Writer
Wofford fullback Kevious Johnson has decided to cut toward the middle of the field on an outside run play in the Terriers game at Appalachian State Oct. 23.
Thinking he might be able to find some room up the middle, Johnson turned up field … directly into Jerelle Carter.
The senior middle linebacker from Axton, Va., pummeled Johnson with a vicious hit.
As teammates jump on Carter and pound his helmet, Carter glowers over Johnson and stares at him.
He practically follows Johnson back to Wofford’s huddle talking smack, invariably telling Johnson he better not try to run up the middle again.
Nov. 6 against Elon, Phoenix wide receiver Stan Smith starts running a short slant route over the middle.
Carter, playing zone, pauses and allows Smith to catch the ball.
As Smith corrals the ball in, Carter plants his feet into the turf and unloads on Smith.
Again, Carter jumps to his feet and nods his head victoriously as Smith slowly climbs to his feet.
Those big hits are just a typical game-day for Carter. Carter may not be the biggest middle linebacker (5’10”, 220 pounds), but he plays bigger than his size.
That much can be seen through his stats.
Carter has 95 tackles in 10 games, which is best on the team and second best in the conference.
But he mainly excels at areas of the game not measured by tackles and quarterback hurries.
He is also catalyst and the emotional leader of the ASU defense.
“I’m the one to get the guys pumped up on Saturdays and I try to keep all the guys focused and keep their heads straight,” Carter said. “I thrive on emotion. Once I get pumped up, it’s full go.”
Although Carter is the team’s defensive leader and a likely All-SoCon first team defense selection, he was not always one of the more prominent players on the defense.
Coming out of high school, Carter walked-on to Appalchian because his cousin Joel Carter played football at ASU from 1980-83.
After red-shirting his freshman year, Carter started six games the next season.
After the departure of several linebackers, Carter was able to win a starting job as a sophomore.
“We had a few seniors leave so the position was pretty much open,” Carter said. “I was playing weak side linebacker at the time and I asked [Defensive Coordinator] John Wiley if I could switch to middle linebacker.”
Last year as a junior, Carter was not as well known as seniors Sam Smalls and Daniel Traylor. But Carter was able to learn from the two seniors and take their advice into this year.
Carter and safety Nygel Rogers are the only two seniors starting on Appalachian’s defense. They also serve as co-captains.
Carter takes his captain position to heart and strives to lead by example.
“Sam (Smalls) used to tell me to make sure I knew what everyone else was doing on the field so I try to tell that to the other linebackers, Brad West and William Mayfield,” Carter said.
Carter also plays the role of tutor to Cam Speer, a true freshman middle linebacker that will likely take over Carter’s position next year.
“I try to give [everyone] as much knowledge as I can, especially Cam because it’s going to be him in the middle next year so he’s got to grow up fast,” Carter said.
Linebacker coach Chris Moore said Carter is truly a special player.
“He’s just somebody that goes out and gives it everything he has,” Moore said.
While Carter may be a force on the football field, there is a side to him that many of the football players don’t see.
That side only comes out when he goes home from practice or from a game to see his two children.
At home, trash talking turns into ‘I love you’s’ and huge hits on opponents turn into goodnight hugs.
But on the football field, that’s the last thing from Carter’s mind.
On the football field, Carter is the most ferocious player on that ASU team.
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Jonathan Williams | The Appalachian
Defender Stephen Smith towers over a Furman player during ASU's win over the Paladins Tuesday night. |
Men's soccer takes first round tourney, 1-0
by Karen Holbrook
Intern Writer
Tuesday’s first round game of the Men’s Southern Conference Soccer Tournament proved to be an exciting victory for Mountaineer players.
Freshman Carter Lugger was the Mountaineers’ conquering hero, putting in the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Furman.
While the first half of the game was heavily dominated by Furman, the Appalachian defense was able to fend off opponents and keep them scoreless.
Senior goalie Philip Cavicchia made a particularly incredible diving save off a Furman direct kick in the ninth minute of the game.
Furman came out playing very organized and had excellent ball movement while Appalachian struggled to maintain possession early on.
The Mountaineers were outshot in the first half 5-2.
“We were playing too defensively and I reminded them we needed to take better care of the ball,” head coach Paul Stahlschmidt said.
During the second half Appalachian showed heavy domination and stepped up the intensity.
The first and only goal of the game came when senior Carter Parrish made a 40-yard pass to Lugger. He was able to two-touch the ball for a low shot past the Furman goalie.
In the 68th minute junior Naeem Frederick attempted a bicycle kick inside the box on Furman’s end.
The result was an accidental headshot to one of Furman’s players. That caused a brief fight to break out on the field between players of both teams.
“I got kind of excited; it was very important that I try anything,” Frederick said. “The ball was in the air and I tried a bicycle. Unfortunately the guy had his head there and I came down on top of him.”
Frederick was given a yellow card and Furman was rewarded an indirect kick.
The intensity did not die down until the end of the game. A total of four yellow cards were issued during the game, including three within the last nine minutes.
Raphael Jones was the other Mountaineer issued a yellow card.
Although Appalachian was out shot 6-4, Cavicchia was able to stop every shot on goal helping to seal the Mountaineers’ victory.
This was Cavicchia’s fifth shutout game of the year.
Appalachian advances to the second round of the SoCon tourney. They will face second-seeded College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. tomorrow at 7 p.m.
“We know they are a good team. We know what they are bringing to the table,” Stahlschmidt said. “We’ve got a Southern Conference Championship and NCAA bid on the line so I don’t think we’ll have any less effort. We do have a couple things to work on and we’re going to do our best.”
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