Athens is a quaint college town in rural Georgia where news rarely gets past the county line. This changed when a terrible car accident that claimed two people’s lives could possibly be connected to one of the National Football League’s (NFL) top draft prospects.  

“I think that when someone has incredible prospects and amazing opportunities, they need to understand the responsibilities that come with it too (…) I think with Jalen, he forgot that he was not entitled to his future and success and that he still needed to work for it.” Lyla Dennis, senior, said. 

Jalen Carter is coming off a spectacular senior season at the University of Georgia, where he helped the football team win another national championship. NFL draft experts had projected he could have been chosen as high as the first overall pick due to his skill and dominance on the football field. However, that changed on March 1, 2023 when the Athens Police Department issued a warrant for Carter’s arrest in connection to a Jan. 15 car crash that resulted in UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy’s and player Devin Willock’s deaths along with the injury of two others. The police released a statement where they allege that Carter was present at the scene of the crash and was racing LeCroy at speeds as high as 104 miles per hour.  

“Someone with such a bright future should never risk it. If [Carter] really cared about his NFL career, he would put his head down at least until he gets drafted. Now, he has ruined possibly his whole life,” Ava Pope, junior, said. 

Timing could not be worse for the 21-year-old, as the warrant was issued amid the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The combine is an event held before the annual NFL draft, which seeks to measure the prospects’ physical skills and attributes, such as their height and 40-yard dash time. Although Carter decided to forgo the physical tests, he was still in Indianapolis so interested teams could interview him. Carter returned to Athens on March 1 and was arrested at 11:33 p.m. He was released 16 minutes later on a bond of $4,000 and returned to Indianapolis the next day to continue talking with teams and the media.  

“I believe even though [Carter] has made mistakes off the field, he is still a great leader and player,” Jordan Graham, senior, said.  

Carter’s arrest has potentially cost him millions of dollars, as teams might shy away from drafting him due to his shaky legal standing. His court date is set for April 18, ahead of the draft on April 27, which could possibly redeem him in the NFL’s eyes if he is found innocent. As of now, everyone waits in suspense until Carter appears before a jury of his peers.