Jalen Carter was recently charged with reckless driving following an accident that killed a Georgia teammate and a recruiting staff member, but it wasn’t the first time he’d driven dangerously.
Newly released body cam footage shows the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft had been withdrawn in September for being «reckless» along the way.
Carter also received citations for his tints: the driver’s side window tint was too dark, and in the state of Georgia, windshields may not be tinted at all.
«Your chance is you won’t go to jail, because it would be all over the news,» the officer told Carter as he explained that he was «not smart» while driving.
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Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter (88) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP National Championship game at SoFi Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.)
The policeman later said that he would have let Carter slide had he not been «reckless», but it is not known how fast Carter was going.
«We wouldn’t be talking if you were going the speed limit. I couldn’t care less about dyes, but when you do something dumb, stupid like that, I’m going to pile things on you… That was reckless.» the policeman continued.
The officer said Carter was the third Georgia football player he had stopped in the last two days, and that he had stopped Dylan Fairchild «a minute ago» for «making 70» in the same area. Yet despite the recent spate of arrests, quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was arrested in January for public intoxication, says the Bulldogs don’t have a culture problem.
«Those were individual mistakes that those individuals are responsible for. It’s not a cultural issue,» he said Friday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
«Absolutely not. I’d say we’re far from it,» head coach Kirby Smart told ESPN on Friday when asked the same thing. «When you talk to people outside of our program that come into it, they talk about what a great culture we have and we do an amazing job. Because I have a lot of outside entities that come into our program and pour into these young people.
«Do we have the perfect young men, women and players? Not necessarily. But I promise you this, that’s the intent: to grow these guys and make them better. And I feel great about the culture within our program.»
Jalen Carter #88 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs in the college football national championship game at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023 in Inglewood, California. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Carter was initially in Indianapolis on Wednesday to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, but rushed back to Atlanta. where there is an arrest 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 booked at 11:33 pm ET at the Athens-Clarke County Jail and released 16 minutes later.
He returned to the combine on Thursday but did not participate in any activity on the field.
The 21-year-old is accused of racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by 24-year-old LeCroy, causing the accident. He accident happened just a few hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight championship with a parade ceremony.
Jalen Carter, #88 of the Georgia Bulldogs, celebrates with a newspaper that reads «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 traveling at 104 mph with a BAC of .197, more than double the legal limit in the state of Georgia.
Carter hopes to be «fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing» and to «answer the misdemeanor charges against me and ensure that the complete and accurate truth is presented.»
He is listed as the top overall prospect in this year’s draft. He chicago bears they own the top pick but are reportedly open to buying it. Carter was a five-star recruit from Apopka High School in Florida. He was a unanimous All-American and All-SEC First-Teamer this season. In 2021, he made the All-SEC second team.
Georgia’s Jalen Carter looks on 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 pick, it will be the second year in a row that a Georgia Bulldog was taken to start the draft. He Jacksonville Jaguars he took defensive end Travon Walker for the first time overall last year.