Why did Andre Carter II go to Army How Black Knights defender took service academy route to NFL draft
Why did Andre Carter II go to Army How Black Knights defender took service academy route to NFL draft
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The 2023 NFL Draft could be a historic one for Army football, thanks to Andre Carter II.When the Black Knights defender hears his name called in April whether it be on Day 1 or 2 he will become the program's highest-drafted player in several generations. That's not hyperbole: West Point has not produced a first-round pick in the NFL draft since Glenn Davis and Tex Coulter went second and seventh overall, respectively, in the 1947 NFL Draft.Indeed, Army has had only two players drafted in the post-merger era, both in the seventh and final round: Ronnie McAda in 1997 and Caleb Campbell in 2008. That Carter could become one of the highest-drafted Black Knights ever says a lot about his physical traits and football acumen.It also raises the question as to why he chose to play at Army in the first place. Here's everything you need to know about Carter's decision to attend West Point, and how he proved himself an NFL-caliber player there.MORE: Carter, whose 6-7, 260-pound frame and college production has helped make him one of the most sought-after EDGE defenders in the 2023 NFL Draft cla s, said his decision to attend Army was two-fold:"I know people wonder how I ended up here, at Army," in an article that originally published in October. "It was a two-part decision. I knew that this place, just being here, is an honor."Serving my country is an honor, and I look forward to serving my country for a long time. But I also knew that you could go to the NFL from here.That last point is technically true, as Carter himself will Brandon Allen Jersey hear his name called in April's draft. However, his path to the NFL is a far cry from the handful of Black Knights who currently play in the league. None was selected in the NFL draft.Carter did not receive significant attention out of high school, however. Part of that is he needed to put on weight at his first high school in California. Following a transfer to his hometown of Houston where he played at two separate high schools Carter sat behind tight end Mustapha Muhammad, a four-star tight end.Carter transferred to Westbury Christian High School in Houston, where upon graduation in 2019 ESPN reports he had "only a couple of nibbles from FCS and Division II schools." His mother, Meli sa Carter, had him transfer to Cheshire Academy (Conn.) for a fifth year of high school. There, former coach Dave Dykeman (now the XFL's director of special football projects) told Carter he would move to defense.The transition proved seamle s for Carter so much so that Dykeman thought to call longtime Army a sistant coach John Loose to let him know about Carter, who eventually became a part of the Black Cadets' 2019 recruiting cla s.MORE: Carter was not highly sought out of high school, only earning attention as a potential Division I prospect after graduating. (Indeed, his his high school as Westbury Christian High School in Houston).Carter's recruiting profile mirrors the attention he received out of high school: He was not nationally ranked, either by 247 or its Composite rankings. He also does not have a star rating.Carter made the entirety of his case to make the NFL while at Army. After not playing any varsity action in 2019 as a freshman, Carter Mark Barron Jersey played 10 games as a sophomore in 2020, accumulating 14 tackles, one interception, one sack and one forced fumble.It wasn't until 2021 that Carter became a bona fide draft prospect, bursting onto the scene with 44 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for lo s, 15.5 sacks trailing only Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. in that metric one interception, three pa ses defensed, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal. He didn't have quite the same statistical output in 2022 amid a 6-6 season that saw the Black Knights mi s a bowl game: just 41 tackles (seven for lo s), 3.5 sacks, two pa ses defensed and one quarterback hit.With that, Carter finished his football career at Army with 99 total tackles (25.5 for lo s), 20 sacks, two interceptions, seven pa ses defensed, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks.MORE: As it stands now, Carter is not only graded as a second-round player by The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, but also is 57th overall by the Jaguars.Per Iyer:"Should the Jaguars try to move Josh Allen in a trade, they would need some edge-rushing help for 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker. Carter is a productive sack artist with some freakish qualities."Carter garnered similar descriptions in :"Carter has developed into a fine pa s rusher with his freakish athletic frame with relentle sne s and smarts that give him a Kurt Warner Jersey high ceiling."Below is a list of Army players selected in the NFL Draft, with accompanying rounds, selections and draft years:DraftPlayer (pos.)RoundPickTeam1946Doc Blanchard (B)13Steelers1947Glenn Davis (RB)12Lions1947Tex Coulter (T)17Chicago Cardinals1947Hank Foldberg (E)528Redskins1947Arnold Tucker (B)1085Bears1947Herschel Fuson (B)14124Giants1947Dick Pitzer (E)29269Steelers1950Arnold Galiffa (QB)18225Packers1951Al Pollard (B)21251New York Yanks1951Dan Foldberg (E)22261Lions1952Vic Pollock (B)23270Steelers1954Bob Mischak (E)23776Browns1955Tommy Bell (B)14166Eagles1955Pete Vann (QB)2226149ers1956Don Holleder (E )893Giants1956Pat Uebel (B)14166Redskins1956Ron Melnik (T)15177Giants1958Bill Melnik (T)14161Bears1959Bob Novogratz (G)24288Colts1960Bob Hall (T)9103Colts1960Bob Anderson (B)9108Giants1960Bill Carpenter (E)19226Colts1969Charlie Jarvis (RB)15382San Diego Chargers1969Gary Steele (TE)19424Lions1997Ronnie McAda (QB)7240Packers2008Caleb Campbell (DB)7218Lions2023Andre Carter (EDGE)TBDTBDTBD
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