While NFL pundits continue to debate Jalen Carter’s landing spot in the NFL Draft, those that know him best say he’ll be just fine, no matter where he falls.
That includes Bulldog defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse, Carter’s roommate at Georgia.
When asked if he thought NFL teams should be considered crazy for selecting the All-American after pleading no contest to charges of racing and reckless driving, Stackhouse disagreed.
“Wherever he goes, he’s still going to be the same Jalen Carter like he was at Georgia,” Stackhouse said. “So, if he went to Seattle, which is kind of the talk now, he’ll make an impact with the Seahawks. If he goes to the Bears, he’ll make an impact with the Bears.”
By most accounts, Carter did not enjoy the best of showings at Georgia’s recent pro day after having to pull out of position workouts due to what sources tell UGASports were back spasms.
Head coach Kirby Smart has fielded his share of requests for comment.
“There’s been a lot of questions about Jalen, which probably was inevitable anyway. When you start talking about, I got a lot of questions about Travon Walker when he came out,” Smart said. “There’s a lot of questions generally, but with the situation, probably more questions and more direct. You just try to be honest and talk about the experiences we had with Jalen here.”
In Smart’s opinion, there are a lot of positive discussions.
“Jalen did not have to come back and play after his first injury, nor after his second injury. Both times he wanted to overcome that injury. He begged us to put him in games he was hurt,” Smart said. “The competitive character he’s shown I think has been really good. I also think his teammates really respect Jalen. Jalen earned the respect of his teammates. They love being around him. That’s a lot of things you can say about him.”
It’s been suggested that whoever signs Carter will be getting a player with a chip on his shoulder to prove “the experts” wrong.
However, Stackhouse does not believe that will be the case.
“I wouldn’t say he would have a chip on his shoulder,” Stackhouse said. “He’s one of those guys where it’s like ‘Oh, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just going to go out there and play anyway.’ He’s just got a really good way of showing everyone that he’s him.”
