One of the most polarizing players in the 2023 NFL draft process has been Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Certainly on the field, he’s a talented player with incredible versatility, raw power and athletic ability.
But it’s been no secret that he’s been dropping off draft boards because of off-the-field issues. Back in September 2022, Carter was stopped for going 89 mph in a 45 mph zone. The officer started the conversation with Carter by talking to him about how he had previously stopped Georgia players Darnell Washington and Dylan Fairchild earlier. The officer told Carter to send out a text to his teammates to start watching their speed. The officer also mentioned that he didn’t care about Carter’s illegal window tints but he’s “got to start watching his speed as it’s reckless. It’s easy to slow down.”
Fast forward a few months and Carter is seen speeding off a downtown area in his car while teammate Devin Wilcox is in another car being operated by recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Police said that “they were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” leading up to a crash that killed LeCroy and Wilcox. An investigation determined that they were driving about 104 mph before the crash.
Since then, Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges in the fatal crash. He was given 12 months probation and his sentence requires him to pay a $1,000 fine, perform 80 hours of community service and complete a state-sanctioned driving course.
Months after the crash, body cam footage from the fatal car accident has been released. In the video, you can see police questioning football players from Georgia. Immediately, it’s known that Carter called his teammates to quickly come down to the scene of the accident. He claimed that “he was behind the car and following them to Waffle House.”
During his conversation with the police, he admitted that he called his teammates and didn’t call 911. Furthermore, the police officer asked Carter if they were racing and Carter shook his head and said “no.” Throughout the video, the police officer and Carter talk about how they’re from the same area in Florida but they do make it clear to him that he is a witness and that “they’re trying to put the pieces of the puzzle back together.”
You can watch the video of the body cam footage below to come to your own conclusion on Carter and his overall draft stock. One thing for sure is that teams across the NFL are trying to put the pieces together on him. It’ll be interesting to see how the Detroit Lions view Carter the player, but more importantly Carter the person.