No one can say Archbishop Spalding senior Jahmeer Carter didn’t pay the price for his football scholarship to the University of Virginia. Carter trains like a professional athlete during the nine-month offseason. He lifts weights at school for 10 hours per week and then works out six more hours across three days at the Gold’s Gym in Glen Burnie that his father, Ferron, owns.
Carter takes off a day here or there, but generally he trains seven days a week. Working out four hours per day is common.
“People probably think I am a little crazy,” Carter says. “I have the mindset that I have to work harder than yesterday. I’m trying to do better every day.”
The 6-foot-3-inch, 305-pound offensive and defensive lineman says the rigorous workouts have clearly elevated the level of his performance. “I think it has helped with my play on the field because of my strength and conditioning,” he explains. “It has given me a mental edge to have a strong work ethic, and I think it gives me a lot more confidence.”
Archbishop Spalding Head Football Coach Kyle Schmitt calls Carter a model player when it comes to fitness.
“He is second-to-none in taking care of his body,” he says. “I always encourage our athletes to supplement their workouts with their own. What I mean is flexibility, footwork, quickness, and plyometrics. He does a really nice job.
“He takes a lot of pride in being the first one in the weight room and the last one to leave,” he adds. “He is not doing it for everyone to see him. That’s what you love about him. Humility is going to be a strong point for this kid. He doesn’t seek attention. In many ways, he shies away from it.”
Carter credits his father, a former Maryland football strength and conditioning coach, for much of his dedication.
“He helped me with what kind of workouts to do, and how to take care of my body,” Carter says.
Carter’s skills and development make him a strong candidate to play early in his career at Virginia as a nose guard. “I think he can play for Virginia immediately,” Schmitt says. “He has been an extremely consistent force. He is a big athletic guy who can take up space. That makes him very valuable in college football.”
An impressive list of schools came after Carter, who carries a 3.1 grade-point average. Boston College, Rutgers, and Cincinnati offered him scholarships while Michigan, Michigan State, South Carolina, and North Carolina aggressively recruited him.
Maryland and Michigan State wanted him to play guard. Virginia was interested enough in Carter that the coaches invited him to a football camp right after his freshman year, and a scholarship offer soon followed. He will sign a National Letter of Intent in February.
“I thought Virginia was just the right fit,” says Carter, who played three years for the Brooklyn Park Broncos before joining the Cavaliers’ varsity. “It was like a family atmosphere. Once I stepped on campus, I felt I was part of the program. I also like the defensive coordinator’s system.”
The 18-year-old Carter was a vital part of Spalding’s success in recent seasons. He started for four years on both sides of the ball and earned All-County honors for his first three seasons as an offensive lineman. The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference named him to its first-team defense last fall. Carter has 17 career sacks.
“He’s the most dedicated kid I have coached in 20 years,” Spalding Defensive Coordinator Tyrone Forby says. “He wants to be great. His quickness and power are unmatched. He is so consistent that most teams will double-team him. If you block him one-on-one, it’s going to be a long day for someone.”
The coaching staff also appreciated how Carter tutored Spalding’s younger players. He served as co-captain the past two seasons. “He is a coach on the field,” Forby says. “Players look to him for answers. He takes pride in showing them how to do things the right way.”
