Jalen Carter back at Scouting Combine

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 31 Semifinal Game Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Getty Images

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter returned to Athens, Georgia to be booked on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing on Wednesday night, but it was reportedly a brief stay.

According to multiple reports that PFT has confirmed, Carter has returned to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday. Carter was booked and released after posting a $4,000 bond on Wednesday night.

Carter’s agents announced that he would not be working out ahead of the warrant for his arrest on charges related to the January car crash that killed Carter’s Georgia teammate Devin Willock and football team staff member Chandler LeCroy. He is expected to meet with teams and do other activities before the Combine is over.

Per a league source, those meetings with teams will include discussion of the charges that Carter faces and he will not decline to answer questions on advice of counsel. Those conversations will join the ongoing legal process in helping to determine how much they impact the standing of a player who has been pegged as a likely top-five pick this year.

47 responses to “Jalen Carter back at Scouting Combine

  1. Georgia’s defensive players are earning quite a reputation. Look at the three guys the Packers drafted, all three have had unfortunate moments with maturity/decisions/etc. The defensive end who is going to prison for rapes, now this. Weird. Hopefully it’s just a brief phase with some of their guys. Not much NFL success for the guys coming out the past few years despite the college success.

  2. This will not impact his draft position at all. Had this news come out the morning of the draft, maybe, but the dust will settle, and life will move on. Hopefully the loss of friends will make him consider driving more safely in the future.

  3. This is starting to rival the Brett Favre watch. I hope poor little Ian isn’t lurking around airports following Jalens private jet flight plan.

  4. How is this possible? he literally killed 2 people because of his actions. So he gets out like nothing ever happened?

  5. Don’t legally gamble on sports, don’t jump in the Salvation Army kettle, and make sure that you wear your socks correctly. Otherwise you can pretty much do anything and you’ll be ok with the NFL.

  6. Hope Peter King posts an article in FMIA which focuses on the 2 lives lost and how DWI has affects everyone involved. It’s tragic and sad.

  7. Whatever team ultimately drafts this guy is going to face serious backlash.

    I have no idea if at some point and time he has said anything along the lines of remorse or condolences, but haven’t read anything like that over the last couple days.

    Whether he was at fault, partial or full, for the accident or not, he left the scene of an accident with obvious injuries. There is zero chance I would invest a pick and hand over several millions dollars to him. Zero chance.

  8. Only in the NFL is it acceptable to be responsible for the deaths of multiple people but if you gamble on a game you have absolutely no involvement in you are suspended for a year!

  9. THe right thing to do would be to tell him to sit this one out, take care of his legal situation, and then give us a call. But this is the NFL, where doing the right thing is specifically prohibited in the bylaws.

  10. Don’t know why he isn’t being charged with leaving the scene of an accident, maybe they will charge later. However, if he was drunk, which seems likely since he was apparently at the same club as the others who were drunk; then leaving the scene was unfortunately his best option. He may have been charged with DUI manslaughter or something like that. As it is, I don’t know how these charges are misdemeanors, I always thought or assumed that street racing was a felony. Maybe it’s just Georgia.

  11. I really don’t think it makes him a bad dude to be 20 years old and racing his car. Give a kid with no sense that much money and that’s going to happen. Lying to the cops is another thing, but again, he was probably scared to death, upset at the loss of a teammate, and very likely wondering if he could somehow be held responsible for the loss of that teammate rather than just charged with a misdemeanor for racing. I’d probably make it a red flag for character reasons, but if his tape stands out (I’m not sure it really does as a top pick) and it’s the only red flag, it shouldn’t impact his draft stock.

  12. Non-factor. If the worst teams who pick early don’t draft him, the smart teams will trade up to get him. So, in that case, this will actually be beneficial to the player.

  13. That bodycam footage of a cop asking him not to speed a month before the crash won’t help his draft stock or his future – sometimes just stop at fooling once

  14. Apparently he is stupid as well as reckless. To even consider this after killing people through your reckless conduct should move you into an undrafted prospect. The team that drafts him is without question worthless.

  15. UGA is a mess but I wouldn’t say Carter was responsible for two deaths. Unless the cars touched. Involved yes, responsible no. It’s a big distinction.

  16. My Team makes me Drink says:
    How is this possible? he literally killed 2 people because of his actions. So he gets out like nothing ever happened?
    ———————-
    I know its unpopular to say this. The person responsible for those deaths, is the person that was driving drunk (0.197% BAC) and crashed the vehicle.

  17. To show up to the combine after being responsible for the deaths of 2 individuals only days earlier makes me question whether this kid gets it or ever will get it. FFS

  18. He didn’t kill anyone. The other driver is a big boy. He didn’t have to speed.

  19. A quick search on the google machine….

    Shocked, I say SHOCKED! to find Drew Rosenhaus represents Carter……..

  20. kenmasters34 says:
    March 2, 2023 at 11:30 am
    My Team makes me Drink says:
    How is this possible? he literally killed 2 people because of his actions. So he gets out like nothing ever happened?
    ———————-
    I know its unpopular to say this. The person responsible for those deaths, is the person that was driving drunk (0.197% BAC) and crashed the vehicle.
    _____________________

    While that is true, he could still be charged. Here in Florida last month, a 13 year old boy was watching an illegal street race, and was hit and killed by a racing motorcycle. Not only was his father charged for bringing him there, the owner of the motorcycle(he wasn’t the rider) was charged with manslaughter. The rider will be charged, of course, if he survives. In 2018, there was a racing accident in which one car hit and killed a mother and her daughter crossing the road. The driver of the car is now doing 24 years, the driver of the other car that didn’t hit anyone pled down and is doing 6 years right now.

  21. Western society is shot. People get cancelled for stating an opinion, but athletes can kill people while behind the wheel and get a slap on the wrist. Where is the cancellation brigade where these dudes are concerned?

  22. Sad how many comments are as if no big deal.. He was involved in a situation where two kids got killed, he lied about being there and all is well. No reasonability for anything and has been the norm will get this big absorbent money contact as two families place their kids in the ground. Seems to be the way of sports world and anyone involved with it.

  23. unfortunately alot of whats going to happen in this case falls on georgia state laws. whether its morally right/wrong doesnt matter. his status as a high nfl prospect and former uga standout will only help his case. my guess is he walks with little punishment and is still a millionaire by this time next year. the nfl just doesnt care enough to send any kind of message.

  24. The entire system is just horribly broken. These kids coming out of college are not learning by example. Henry Ruggs should have taught everyone what happens when you drive like an idiot.

  25. I will hold off on all judgments and comments until I see if the Steelers draft him. GO STELERS!

  26. If Carter Was DWI and or reckless driving and 2 people died how is this not a felony?

  27. He was racing another vehicle that crashed and took the lives of two people. He lied about being there. Insists he will be exonerated.

    If I am an GM, he is off my draft board.

  28. The man has chutzpah. But with the NFL’s record for lack of ethics, it doesn’t surprise me that he will be drafted. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

  29. Drive drunk. Leave the scene of an accident. Leave your dying friends inside their mangled car. Street racing while drunk. Lie to the police.

    2 people dead tied to your actions.

    And yet still the ONLY thing the NFL cares about is your 40 yard dash time and how many reps you can bench 225. How can they let this guy attend the combine?

    Unbelievable.

  30. Gotta love how the wheels of justice turn for the rich and famous. Isn’t Henry Ruggs still sitting at home?

  31. Those team interviews are likely going to be a lot more interesting now. Wouldn’t be surprised if his lawyers wind up present for them.

  32. Some of the comments are unbelievable. People saying that he killed two people? The intoxicated driver killed two people. You really think he wanted this to happen. He didn’t run them off the road . They were all out having a good time. And a senseless tragedy occurred.

  33. People need to understand – thus far, he’s only been charged with reckless driving and racing. There is no actual charge related to the deaths. That might be coming.

  34. I’m sure all his prospective teammates think it honorable that he left the scene of a wreck that killed a mate and then lied about being there.

  35. The combine is the LAST place that Carter should be. Of course, football and his draft status trump a double fatality in which he was involved.

  36. If he doesn’t get prison time I’m sure Henry Ruggs will have something to say.

  37. Why do people act like he committed murder? It is 2 misdemeanors for reckless driving and racing. The other dude was driving drunk and crashed. He will still go top 5.

  38. Ya he couldnt get back there fast enough for the inteviews considering he is not participating in the drills. Round two please

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.