The Football Brainiacs

All pictures directly from Jeffery Carter Sr.

Football season is right around the corner. Practice is in full swing, preseason rankings are coming out, and awards watch lists are being put together. None of this, however, puts a stop to recruiting. Lincoln Riley and company keep adding commitments for the future: some for 2018 and some as far out as 2020. One of those recent commits is Jeffery Carter.

Carter committed to the Sooners at the ChampUBBQ in late July, one of three recruits to do so that day. His family and he were in Norman getting to spend time with coaches and other recruits, and he felt that it was the right move.

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His father, Jeffery Carter Sr., was kind enough to speak with TFB recently to answer some questions. Mr. Carter shared about his family and their experiences with the University of Oklahoma.

Jeffery Carter Sr.

Mr. Carter and his wife, Mrs. O’Rita, have three children. Their daughter is out of school and working. Their oldest son is currently serving in the Navy. Jeffery Jr., their youngest, is starting his junior year of high school this fall.

Mrs. O’Rita works as a nurse at Everman High School, while Mr. Carter is a truck driver. They live with Jeffery Jr., who they call “Scooby,” in Aledo; they were just a short ways east of Aledo in Fort Worth before that.

The Carter family grew up cheering enthusiastically for the Dallas Cowboys as their main team; they also watched a lot of college football. Mr. Carter is a big fan of Barry Switzer, with the Dallas Cowboys connection not hurting. He has fond memories of the wishbone at OU, mentioning Jamelle Holieway and Keith Jackson as guys he really enjoyed watching.

Although the Carter family hasn’t been to Oklahoma much, they enjoyed visiting the campus. The facilities were particularly impressive and the stadium is great. They spent a good amount of time in the indoor facility, which they enjoyed. Mr. Carter mentioned that facility improvements are an extremely common thing in today’s college football culture, as universities try to improve their image in the eyes of recruits and boosters. With that in mind, it’s a great sign that OU’s facilities stuck out. The close proximity of the dorms and workout facilities were another thing that he appreciated seeing on the campus.

The coaches have made a big impression on Jeffery Jr. Mr. Carter has enjoyed getting to know Coach Cooks, the Sooners’ secondary coach. He relates well with the players and recruits. Additionally, he speaks truthfully to the recruits instead of telling them what they want to hear; Coach Cooks told Jeffery that he would have to come in and work for a role. That kind of attitude leads to respect and hard work. Another coach to stick out has been Coach Marcus Walker. Walker played cornerback for the Sooners from 2004-2007, and has been on staff with the Sooners since 2015.

Mr. Carter really likes Coach Riley being the new head coach for the Sooners. He was particularly impressed by the manner in which Bob Stoops handled the transition in stepping down as head coach; he kept the program in a good state by handling things smoothly. As the college game continues to change, and the recruiting culture with it, having a young head coach who can easily relate to players is a great thing. Something that Mr. Carter admired was that the coaches are focused on developing Jeffery Jr. as a man, and not just as a player.

When they arrived at the ChampUBBQ, Jeffery Jr.’s parents were unaware of his plan to commit that day; he didn’t even have his offer when they showed up in Norman. After looking at the dorms and the indoor facility, Jeffery Jr. spoke with Coach Cooks for a while. As he rejoined his parents, he told them he was thinking about committing to the Sooners. They stood beside him on his decision.

The balance that parents try to maintain is a tough one. On one hand, parents want to see their children succeed, and often have good ideas born out of years of experience that can help their children. On the other hand, parents want their children to learn to make decisions based on their own choices and to develop as people. This line gets tough in recruiting as well; some parents push their children to a certain school, while others are completely hands off. The Carter family is really focusing on preserving a healthy balance. They encouraged Jeffery Jr. to make his own decision on his future, but have encouraged him in his decision and helped look for important things throughout the process.

One great thing about his son’s commitment is the proximity to home: Aledo to Norman is just a few hours’ drive. One game that the Carter family has mentioned wanting to visit this year is Bedlam. He also sounded eager to attend OU Texas in Dallas as I spoke of it. After all, as I told him, it’s my favorite day of the year (OU-Texas, Christmas, 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, in that order). When Jeffery Jr. gets to OU, they want to make it to all the games.

With Jeffery Jr. being such a phenomenal athlete, and playing so many positions in high school, I asked Mr. Carter what position he wants to play in college. Cornerback is the plan for Jeffery Jr., although he acknowledges that he’d be open to looking at other roles.

The Carter family has a lot of ties to OU players and recruits. Jeffery Jr. had the chance to work out with Steven Parker this summer in Texas, as they have used the same trainer. That was a huge spark in his interest for OU.

Another player with OU connections close to the Carter family is 2018 WR OU commit Jaylon Robinson, from the Fort Worth area. Robinson and Carter have been on the same summer track team, and have won several national championships together. Robert Barnes, also from the DFW area, has been an inspiration for the Carter family. Seeing him get to OU has been a great experience. Additionally, 2020 RB OU commit Jase McClellan attends Aledo High School with Jeffery Jr. They will have several years together in Norman.

The Carter family is focused on continuing to support Jeffery Jr. as he tackles the second half of high school and prepares for college. They are excited to see Jeffery Jr. become a Sooner and what his future holds