Chargers’ DeAndre Carter: Substitute Teacher Becomes Special Team – Los Angeles Chargers Blog

COSTA MESA, California — Los Angeles charger wide receiver DeAndre Carter stood in front of a crowd that was looking at him with interest.

“When I grow up, I want to be a professional soccer player,” Carter read from an essay, before adding a line of his own.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Me too!”

A student wrote an essay at Mayo Elementary School in Compton, where the Chargers spent part of their recent holiday surprising 150 second and third graders with bicycles.

As Carter united with the student who wrote the essay, 29-year-old Carter and one student danced to “Griddy,” while flashing two smiles that infected the entire school auditorium and proved to be a moment of testing. challenge to determine who is interested. more — Carter or student.

The auditorium is a much different arena from the one Carter used to stand in the center on NFL game days, but it’s a very familiar arena.

As an untrained freelance agent who left Sacramento State in 2015, Carter joined NFL practice teams for a season before being cut by New England Patriots before the 2016 season.

No one picked him up – except Martin Luther King Jr High School. in Hayward, California, where he spends his early mornings and evenings exercising to continue his professional football career, but spends his days working as a substitute teacher.

“I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world,” Carter said.

The charger is 10-6 when they are about to play the game Dancer broncos in the finals of the regular season before going on to the NFL for the first time since 2018.

As a fifth-year cruiser, Carter signed a one-year, $1.14 million deal with the Bolts during the off-season, a huge increase from the $150 a day he earned as a runner-up. extra.

The Chargers brought Carter back in as a pro, but he’s proven throughout the season to give more than that.

“He’s a coach’s dream,” said head coach Brandon Staley. “He is a hard worker. He’s so selfish. He does a lot of different things from a role point of view.

A key sometimes overlooked but crucial component of Chargers’ post-season return is the changeover to special teams, including the payback unit.

The Bolts average 11.19 yards per return, fourth in the NFL and the best team of the past 20 years. Over the past three years, the Bolts averaged 5.6 yards per return – the worst in the league.

Carter’s 11.19 yards average per return pitch ranks fourth in the NFL.

“He’s a determined comeback guy,” Staley said. “The impact of 10 yards is huge. Those hidden yards in a game add up.

“He’s creating a lot of great on-field positions,” wide receiver Keenan Allen speak. “It was a pivotal moment for us.”

Carter also proved himself to be a reliable player when attacking in midfield Justin Herbert navigating significant injuries to Allen and wide receivers Mike Williamswho hadn’t played a complete game together until Week 14.

“As soon as he walked in here, we knew we had a special guy,” Herbert said. “I’m not sure how much he’s been used where he’s been before, but he got here and it feels great sitting in coverage, beating the men’s coverage.. . he has made great progress.”

Carter had the best season of his career with 43 catches for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“I was on” [an] It’s a journey of ups and downs throughout the tournament and you’ll get to a place where you feel like you have the opportunity to contribute regularly and have a real role to play on a team,” Carter said. “It’s fun. I’m definitely having the most fun I’ve had in the NFL football season.”

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi called Carter a “fix” guy for his ability to broadcast all four wide receiver locations at once.

“When you look back at all the players you’ve coached, he’s going to be one of the favorites,” Lombardi said. “Tough, competitive and someone you can trust to get out there and get the job done.”

Get the job done, whatever it is.

At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Carter was not a substitute teacher who would roll around in a tram and wait for the bell to ring. He teaches lesson plans and continues to work after classes are over. And if a replacement isn’t needed for that day or period, he’ll still show up.

“If I don’t have a classroom, I just love going around and checking on each kid and stuff like that,” says Carter. “It’s great to be able to be with the kids, to be someone — I mean, it’s a tough area. So being able to be someone they feel comfortable coming to talk to and rely on is pretty absolute to me.

Carter, who grinned as he confirmed that he was once “Mr. Carter” for students, teaching everything from math to history and English. He helped with the after-school tutoring program and also helped the kids learn how to exercise.

Eddie Smith, a former Carter’s coach and mentor who was the head counselor at the school and encouraged Carter to be a substitute, said the kids especially liked him because he was young — 23 at the time. and attractive, but most importantly because he set the example by graduating from college and having the opportunity to join the NFL.

“It’s really amazing to see what DeAndre has done for those kids,” Smith said. “But that’s just him. He was built that way. He wants and constantly gives back.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his NFL goals, Carter fondly recalls that time, knowing how much he went out of his way to help students, that the students — maybe they unknowingly — also helped him.

“Mentally, like in my personal life, it was definitely a difficult time when not knowing, obviously, I wanted to continue playing, for example not knowing if I had a chance. other or whether I can play in the league. NFL again,” said Carter, who was given a chance next season by San Francisco 49ers and has been in the tournament ever since. “The kids helped me through it…overall, it was one of the brighter spots in my life.”