Jalen Carter

Early life

Jalen Carter was born on April 4, 2001. Carter first played football for the Apopka Raptors, a youth football team in his hometown of Apopka, Florida. Carter was hailed as being a versatile player during his youth football career, he played multiple positions such as running back, cornerback, wide receiver, and outside linebacker. Carter also played quarterback during an AAU 14-under national championship game, where he threw a 70-yard touchdown pass against the Pensacola Browns. In addition to playing football, Carter played basketball for the Raptors Elite AAU team. Carter later attended Apopka High School, where he played tight end, fullback, and punter in addition to defensive tackle. Carter also played multiple sports in high school, including basketball and heavyweight lifting As a senior, he had 12 sacks, 64 tackles, and a touchdown. A five-star recruit ranked the 18th overall prospect in his class, Carter committed to play college football at the University of Georgia.

College career

Carter played in eight games as a freshman, recording 12 tackles and a touchdown reception. In Carter's sophomore season, he tallied 31 tackles and three sacks in 12 games. This performance earned him a spot on the 2021 All-SEC football team. Georgia won the National Championship that year over Alabama. Carter declared for the 2023 NFL draft after the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, in which the Bulldogs also won.

Legal issues

On January 15, 2023, at approximately 2:45 a.m., a serious car crash occurred resulting in the deaths of University of Georgia staff member Chandler LeCroy and football player Devin Willock. The collision, which occurred in East Athens after the Bulldogs had been celebrating their second consecutive national championship earlier in the evening, was believed by police to have occurred as a result of street racing involving LeCroy, who was driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, and Carter, who was driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk. LeCroy, whose blood alcohol content was 0.197, more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash, veered off the road after failing to make a proper turn at a high speed. She struck at least two utility poles, downing one of them, and trees before the car came to a stop against the door of an apartment building, blocking the resident inside until the wreckage could be cleared away. Willock, who was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. Two other passengers were injured. It was estimated that both cars reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). LeCroy's speedometer indicated she had been traveling at 83 miles per hour (134 km/h) when it broke during the crash. Carter had previously been cited for traffic violations three times during the fall semester, twice by campus authorities and once by Athens police for traveling at 89 miles per hour (143 km/h) in a 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) zone.

On March 1, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Carter for his involvement in the accident, with charges brought against him for reckless driving and street racing. That night, Carter turned himself in and was released on a $4,000 bond. He pleaded no contest to the charges on March 16, and was given 12 months of probation, along with a $1,000 fine, and ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and a driving course. On May 10, 2023, Dave Willock Sr., Devin Willock's father, filed a $40 million lawsuit, in which Carter was named a defendant. On July 13, 2023, Victoria Bowles, a former Georgia staffer who survived the car wreck, filed a lawsuit against Carter and the Georgia athletic association.