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Prep coach sees bright future for Carter
Pirates tap
Sunshine State to shore up linebacker corps
By
Sammy Batten
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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Sometime during the
spring semester of the 2011-2012 academic year, Ponte Vedra (FL)
High School football coach Mike Loyd walked into the gymnasium and
something immediately caught his eye.
"There was this
kid in there dunking the ball with both hands without taking a
step,'' recalled Loyd, a veteran coach who has worked 27 years
in the high school and college ranks.
Joe Carter was a
sophomore who had just transferred to Ponte Vedra from Indiana.
Loy would learn that Carter was lacking football experience but
was blessed with athleticism and a tremendous work ethic.
"I saw the
athleticism right away,'' Loyd said. "He could run in the 4.58
range (in 40-yard dash) and is a 38-inch vertical (leap) guy. He
was a step behind in regards to football knowledge. But he is
really a driven young man. He's the hardest working kid I've had
in my 27 years as a football coach.''
The 6-foot-3,
220-pound Carter went on to start for Loyd at outside linebacker
as a junior, producing 50 tackles, two sacks and an interception
playing alongside Tennessee commit, Dillon Bates. When East
Carolina's defensive coordinator and secondary coach Rick Smith
dropped in to watch Bates last spring, he came away impressed
with Carter.
The result was a
scholarship offer from the Pirates, which Carter accepted on
June 28 to become the fifth member of the recruiting Class of
2014. Carter is the first linebacker to made a pledge to ECU and
the third defensive player.
"They (ECU) came
down to see Dillon Bates and I told them Joe Carter was a Bates
clone,'' Loyd said. "I've been fortunate enough to coach a lot
of NFL and Division I players, and I told them Joe Carter is one
of those guys. This is not rocket science like a lot of young
coaches want to make it. Joe is a guy who can run, jump and is a
great student-athlete. He's an even better young man off the
field. He wants to be great.
"It didn't take
long for a real ball coach to see his ability to play at that
(Division I) level and that he could be an impact player at that
level.''
Loyd should know.
During a five-year stint as head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma
A&M College in the 1990s, he coached linebacker Charlie Clemmons
who went on to play at Georgia and earn a Super Bowl ring with
the St. Louis Rams. He later helped develop future Oklahoma and
NFL tight end Jermaine Gresham while head coach at Ardmore High
School in Oklahoma. Those are just two of hundreds of players
Loyd has workd with that went on to college or professional
football.
Carter's talents
remind Loyd of Clemmons.
"Charlie was a
hybrid guy,'' Loyd said. "He played for me in the 1990s at
Northeastern Oklahoma when we won the national (junior college)
championship. He got his break and ended up playing with the
Rams and Texans. He won a Super Bowl ring and was a first-team
All-SEC pick.
"Joe reminds me of
Charlie because he's very explosive. They are a similar size and
have that same desire and drive.''
Carter's desire
helped make a play last season that Loyd has kept pictured in
his memory and on the wall in the team weight room. During the
Sharks 10-2 finish, which also included the Class 5-A district
title, Carter launched himself to block a punt.
"The picture of it
is on the wall here in my office,'' Loyd said. "He's blocking
the punt and he's parallel across the line of scrimmage. He just
sold out completely to get the punt blocked. That showed me
right there what kind of character and determination he has. He
gave his body to help our team win. He blocked three or four
punts for us last year.''
Air Force,
Alabama-Birmingham, Appalachian State and Lehigh also offered
Carter scholarships in addition to ECU. Indiana, Michigan State
and Purdue were also expressing interest, according to Loyd.
The Pirates signed
a strong linebacker class in February, but will graduate two
inside linebackers following the 2013 season in Kyle Tudor and
Ty Holmes. All-star inside linebacker Jeremy Grove will complete
his eligibility after the 2014 season.
Although Carter
has played outside linebacker for Ponte Vedra, he's expected to
shift to inside linebacker at ECU.
"Joe can play
both,'' Loyd said. "He's physical enough now at 220 pounds. I
think East Carolina is getting a phenomenal athlete who is only
going to get better and better. He was impressed with what
they're doing there at East Carolina. They were one of the first
couple of schools to show an interest in him and let him know
he'd have a chance to play early. He was impressed with the
coaching staff and how honest they were with him. I think
they've gotten themselves a real steal in Joe.''
Florida, as it has
with many programs because of the wealth of high school talent
there, has become a fertile recruiting ground for the Pirates.
Four players on the current roster hail from the Sunshine State
in freshman quarterback Kurt Benkert (Cape Coral), senior
offensive lineman Jordan Davis (Fort Walton Beach), junior
offensive lineman Drew Gentry (Tallahassee) and senior receiver
Lance Ray (Quincy).
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07/11/2013 11:04 PM |
