Jalen Da'Quan Carter (born April 4, 2001) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2022 and a two-time CFP national champion before being selected by the Eagles ninth overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

Jalen Carter
refer to caption
Carter with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022
No. 98 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2001-04-04) April 4, 2001 (age 23)
Apopka, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:314 lb (142 kg)
Career information
High school:Apopka
College:Georgia (2020–2022)
NFL draft:2023 / round: 1 / pick: 9
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024
Total tackles:62
Sacks:9.5
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:4
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Carter was born on April 4, 2001, Apopka, Florida, later attending Apopka High School.[1] As a senior, he had 12 sacks, 64 tackles, and a touchdown.[2] A five-star recruit ranked the 18th overall prospect in his class, Carter committed to play college football at the University of Georgia.[3][4]

College career

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Carter played in eight games as a freshman, recording 12 tackles and a touchdown reception.[5] In Carter's sophomore season, he tallied 31 tackles and three sacks in 12 games.[6] This performance earned him a spot on the 2021 All-SEC football team.[7] Georgia won the National Championship that year over Alabama.[8] Carter declared for the 2023 NFL draft after the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, in which the Bulldogs also won.[9][10]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m)
314 lb
(142 kg)
33+12 in
(0.85 m)
10+14 in
(0.26 m)
All values from the NFL Combine[11][12]

Carter was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.[13]

Carter made his NFL debut on September 10 against the New England Patriots, and in that same game, he recorded his first career sack on Mac Jones.[14]

During the Week 14 NBC Sunday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox stripped the ball from quarterback Dak Prescott, and Carter returned the fumble 42 yards for his first NFL touchdown.[15] As a rookie, he appeared in 16 games and made one start. He finished with six sacks, 33 total tackles (20 solo), two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.[16] He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.[17] However, Jalen Carter was edged out by Will Anderson Jr. for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.[18]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Sfty FF FR Yds TD
2023 PHI 16 1 33 20 13 6.0 2 1 42 1
2024 PHI 10 9 29 14 15 3.5 0 0 0 0
Career 26 10 62 34 28 9.5 0 2 1 42 1

Postseason

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Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Sfty FF FR Yds TD
2023 PHI 1 2 1 1
Career 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
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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.[19][20][21] 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.[22]

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.[23][24] 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.[25] On May 10, 2023, Dave Willock Sr., Devin Willock's father, filed a $40 million lawsuit, in which Carter was named a defendant.[26][27] 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.[28][29]

References

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  1. ^ Schlabach, Mark (December 28, 2022). "'Straight beast mode': The highlights that explain the incomparable Jalen Carter". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jalen Carter's High School Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jalen Carter, Georgia Bulldogs, Defensive Line". 247Sports. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  4. ^ Spencer, Adam (May 20, 2019). "Georgia picks up commitment from 4-star 2020 DT Jalen Carter out of Florida". Saturday Down South. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jalen Carter Game by Game Stats and Performance". ESPN. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Renner, Michael (June 15, 2022). "Early 2023 NFL Draft DI Rankings: Georgia's Jalen Carter, Clemson's Bryan Bresee lead the pack | NFL Draft". PFF. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Windham, Katie (December 7, 2021). "10 Alabama Players Earn All-SEC Honors". Yardbarker. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  8. ^ Blinder, Alan (January 10, 2022). "How Georgia Beat Alabama to Win College Football's National Championship". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Witz, Billy (January 9, 2023). "How Georgia Romped Past T.C.U. For a Second Straight Title". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Morgan, James (January 10, 2023). "Georgia DL Jalen Carter declares for 2023 NFL draft". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  11. ^ "Jalen Carter Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Jalen Carter College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Brinkerhoff, Nick (April 27, 2023). "NFL Draft picks 2023: Live results, complete list of selections from Rounds 1-7". Sporting News. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  14. ^ Clancy, Shamus (September 11, 2023). "Jalen Carter is already living up to his massive hype". PhillyVoice. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  15. ^ Williams, Cherian (December 11, 2023). "Jalen Carter's fumble return TD pulls Eagles within 24-13 of Cowboys". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  16. ^ "Jalen Carter 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  17. ^ "2023 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  18. ^ Jalen Carter edged out by Will Anderson for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, NBC Sports, February 8, 2024
  19. ^ Valencia, Nick; Close, David (March 1, 2023). "Jalen Carter, star University of Georgia defensive lineman, faces charges in connection with fatal crash". CNN.com. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  20. ^ "Warrants out for arrest of draft prospect Carter". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  21. ^ Judd, Alan; Jackson, Dylan (March 1, 2023). "Breaking: UGA's Jalen Carter charged with reckless driving and street racing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  22. ^ Judd, Alan; Jackson, Dylan (March 1, 2023). "UGA's Jalen Carter charged with reckless driving and street racing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Odum, Charles (March 2, 2023). "Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash". Tulsa World. Associated Press. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  24. ^ Shapiro, Alex (March 2, 2023). "Report: Jalen Carter posts bond, returns to Combine". RSN. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  25. ^ Salvador, Joseph (March 16, 2023). "Georgia's Jalen Carter Enters Plea Deal, Avoids Jail Time for Charges". SI.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  26. ^ "Eagles' Jalen Carter sued in relation to deadly Georgia crash". CBS News. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  27. ^ Smith, E. J. (May 10, 2023). "Eagles rookie Jalen Carter named a defendant in civil suit regarding fatal car crash". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  28. ^ Schlabach, Mark (July 13, 2023). "Ex-Georgia staffer sues school, Eagles' Carter". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  29. ^ Darnell, Tim (July 13, 2023). "UGA, Jalen Carter named in lawsuit by deadly car crash survivor". Atlanta News First. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
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