Called to serve
When he got hurt, Carter joined a long list of Huskies whose seasons were ended by injury.
By the time his surgery came, Mora had already become all-too familiar with the conversation that comes next.
It’s the one that defines expectations, different for every injured player to stay connected with the program based on recovery time and circumstance.
The talk with Carter was easy, no convincing needed.
“With me not playing I see my role more as a servant,” Carter said. “Serving my teammates and trying to prepare them as best as I can for the game.”
In a sling at practice, Carter stands by the few remaining healthy backs answering questions, making sure they get their eyes right in pass protection — but he really cares more about everything else.
“During the football season so many different things and stresses can happen, so I care more about the spiritual and mental side of my teammates than obviously them performing on the field on Saturdays,” Carter said, “which, I believe that mentally and spiritually, that’s gonna help them perform better on the field.”
Mora said, “I think it means a lot. It’s just an extra set of support, an extra set of eyes. It’s a person in the room that knows what they’re going through. I think it shows a real commitment. And we expect that of them. Sometimes (injured players) check out emotionally, and our guys haven’t done that.”
With the current state of college football, the transfer portal being an easy-out for unhappy players, fear that Carter may leave — that he might be for UConn and its poor recent history — was only natural.
With Carter, he says, there is no reason to worry.
“(I) have the very best intention to return next season and continue to put UConn football on the map,” he said. “I just can’t wait for next year to just come back and to be even stronger, even faster, even better than I am now and have an even better season – or start to the season – than I had this year. So I’m excited about that next year and I know that every other injured guy is as well.”