by Jalen Carter was recently charged with reckless driving after an accident that killed a Georgia teammate and a recruiter, but it wasn’t the first time he’d driven dangerously.
Newly released bodycam footage shows the potential first pick in the September NFL draft was withdrawn for being “reckless” on the street.
Carter was also cited for his tints – the tint on the driver’s side windows was too dark, and in the state of Georgia windshields aren’t allowed to be tinted at all.
“Your pause is you don’t go to jail because I would be on all kinds of news,” the officer told Carter, while explaining that he was “not smart” while driving.
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Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defenseman Jalen Carter (88) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP National Championship game at SoFi Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.)
The police officer later said he would have let Carter slide if he hadn’t been “reckless,” but it is unknown how fast Carter was driving.
“We wouldn’t talk if you went over the speed limit. Tints might be less important to me, but if you do something that stupid, stupid, I’ll charge you with stuff… That was inconsiderate.” The cop continued.
The officer said Carter was the third Georgia football player he had stopped in the past two days, and he had stopped Dylan Fairchild “a minute ago” for doing “70” in the same area. Despite the recent string of arrests, quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was arrested for public intoxication in January, says the Bulldogs don’t have a culture problem.
“These were individual mistakes that these individuals are responsible for. Not a cultural issue,” he said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“Absolutely not. I’d say we’re a long way from it,” head coach Kirby Smart told ESPN on Friday when asked the same thing. “When you talk to people outside of our program who are participating, they’re talking about what a great culture we have and we’re doing an incredible job. Because I have a lot of external units coming into our program and pouring in these young men.
“Do we have perfect young men and women and players? Not necessarily. But I promise you, that’s the intention: we want to educate these guys and make them better. And I feel really good about the culture within our program.”
Jalen Carter #88 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2023 in Inglewood, California. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Carter was initially in Indianapolis Wednesday to attend the NFL Scouting Combine but rushed back to Atlanta. where a warrant was issued for his alleged involvement in the crash that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy. He was arrested at Athens-Clarke County Jail at 11:33 p.m. ET and released 16 minutes later.
He returned to the combine Thursday but did not participate in any field activity.
The 21-year-old is accused of driving his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk into 24-year-old LeCroy’s 2021 Ford Expedition that led to the wreck. The Crash happened just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight championship with a parade ceremony.
Jalen Carter, #88 of the Georgia Bulldogs, celebrates with a newspaper reading: “Perfect!” after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023 in Inglewood, California. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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LeCroy was driving at 104 mph with a BAC of 0.197, more than double the legal limit in the state of Georgia.
Carter expects to be “fully acquitted of all criminal wrongdoing” and “to respond to the misdemeanor charges against me and to ensure that the full and accurate truth is presented.”
He is listed as the top overall prospect in this year’s draft. The Chicago Bears own the top picks but are reportedly open to buying them. Carter was a five-star recruit from Apopka High School in Florida. He was a unanimous All-American and All-SEC first-teamer that season. In 2021, he made the All-SEC Second Team.
Jalen Carter of Georgia watches during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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If Carter is the first choice, it will be the second year in a row that a Georgia bulldog has been chosen to start the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars Travon Walker took first place overall last year.
