Detroit Lions: Alex Carter Motivated By Late Sister

By Andrew C. Fisher | May 11, 2015

The Detroit Lions decided to add depth to their secondary with Alex Carter in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. A cornerback out of Stanford University, Carter is thought by some to be a candidate for a move to safety someday down the road. For now, he has an opportunity to get on the field right away in his rookie season. Whether it’s as a cornerback, safety or both, he has the talent to make an impact immediately for the Lions.

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When it comes to the story of how Carter made his way to the NFL, there almost wasn’t a story at all. He nearly gave up his dream of playing football and going off to college at Stanford because of a family tragedy.

Carter’s sister, Cameron, passed away unexpectedly when she was only 14 years old. The heart-wrenching story was recently brought to light by Justin Rogers of MLive.com.

Cameron, a type-1 diabetic, went unconscious one night during Carter’s senior year in high school. It happened the same night as one of her volleyball games, a game that her big brother almost didn’t attend due to a planned date. Ultimately, he made the decision to go watch her play.

Oct 18, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Stanford Cardinal cornerback Alex Carter (25) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a decision to this day he’s thankful for, although he did come face-to-face with tragedy later in the night as his sister was rushed to the hospital.

The devastating event almost caused him to give up football and stay at home with his grieving family. However, his mom would not allow it. She said that Cameron wouldn’t have wanted it that way, and that she would have wanted Alex to pursue his dreams at Stanford.

That thought has kept Carter motivated ever since.

On top of the fact that he lost one sister to complications from diabetes, his other sister also has the dreaded the disease. Carter hopes he can do enough on the football field to help make a difference for others who are affected by the terrible illness.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do in the future with that, but it is something, because my other sister also has diabetes. I have two sisters with diabetes and there’s not a cure for that right now so whatever I can give back, whatever I can contribute to finding a cure for that,” said Carter via Rogers.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do in the future with that, but it is something, because my other sister also has diabetes. I have two sisters with diabetes and there’s not a cure for that right now so whatever I can give back, whatever I can contribute to finding a cure for that.” – Alex Carter

This family tale isn’t just a human interest story or a reason to care about Alex Carter. It may ultimately be an extra motivating factor for him during his NFL career. When the times get tough, his sister’s memory and the fight against diabetes will help him move forward.

When players don’t have an extra edge, whatever it may be, it can prove to be detrimental to their career. Because once the ink is dry on that rookie contract (Carter just signed his to the tune of about $3 million over four seasons), the rest is left up to the player.

Some are further motivated by winning, others by making even more money and some play for a purpose beyond the gridiron.

Carter seems to be the opposite of a player who will be content with merely earning a few paydays in the NFL. Not only does he have a disease that affects his family to fight, he also is a second generation NFL player. His father, Tom, played nine seasons in the NFL from 1993-2001.

Those two factors, and of course his skills, lead me to believe that Carter will have a long and successful career. There’s no such thing as too much extra motivation in the NFL and he’ll have plenty of it from day one.

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