Joe Carter

Height:
6-2
Weight:
232
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Ponte Vedra, Fla.
High School:
Ponte Vedra
Major:
Marketing

A special teams stalwart who will also compete for depth chart status at either (mike or will) inside linebacking position … Appears to have fully bounced back from a nagging left leg injury which forced a non-traditional redshirt campaign in 2015 … Has played in 22 career contests and made 18 tackles (eight solo) … Credited with at least one successful hit in 10 games and has racked up multiple totals on six occasions … Of 18 overall stops, 16 have come on special teams (10 kickoff coverage, six punt coverage) … Booked tackle for lost yardage (-5 yards) in first spring scrimmage on April 1.

2016: Returned to active duty (following injury) and appeared in 10 games, primarily on special teams … Logged nine stops (five solo) and a forced fumble (during third-quarter action vs. Connecticut) … Co-led all specialist with seven stops – five on punt returns, two on kickoff returns … Two other tackles were on rushing plays as a member of the linebacking corps … Accounted for a season-high two stops three times, all in successive weeks (Cincinnati, Connecticut, Tulsa) … Added single tackle totals against USF, Navy and Temple … Six of nine hits were delivered on the road and netted three at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

2015: Suffered through an injury-plagued season, which actually began in the spring with a left leg ailment that prevented full scrimmage competition … Decision for redshirt year was made during fall camp when recovery remained delayed and not progressing as team medical personnel had anticipated … Did not appear in any game day action and contributions on scout team were limited, if not non-existent.

2014: Played 12 games as a member of special teams units (DNP vs. North Carolina) ... Made collegiate debut against N.C. Central in the Pirates’ season opener and was immediately thrown into the fire as a true freshman ... Booked nine tackles (three solo), all on special teams (eight on kickoff returns, one on a punt return) … Nine tackle total ranked second among all special teams players … Recorded at least one tackle in four contests … Booked multiple-stops on three occasions … Credited with a career-best three hits twice (at Cincinnati, at Tulsa) ... Other multi-tackle game was against Connecticut at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium ... Finished year on a high note, racking up seven stops in the last five games (only two in first seven outings) … Officially inked with ECU during the traditional signing day (period) in February.

High School: Racked up 75 total tackles (36 solo) during senior season at Ponte Vedra High School … Also credited with one sack, one fumble recovery, two pass breakups and one blocked punt for veteran coach Mike Lloyd in 2013 … Netted 56 stops, an interception (vs. Palatka), two sacks and another blocked punt (vs. Orange Park) as a junior to help the Sharks post a 9-2 record and cap a run of back-to-back district titles … Top effort of 2012 was an eight-tackle performance against Orange Park and also produced a pair of seven-stop outings vs. rivals Nease and Matanzas … Started six games as a sophomore and totaled 45 tackles, a pick and a punt block … In all, picked up three football letters and was a team captain … Also recruited by Air Force and Virginia before committing to the Pirates on June 28 … Transferred to Ponte Vedra after opening his prep career at Warsaw (Ind.) Community High School … Was PVHS’s representative for the Pursuing Victory with Honor program in St. John’s (Fla.) County and maintained a grade point average over 3.0.

Personal: Full name is Josiah Michael Carter … Born at Lewisville, Texas … Son of Michael and Abigail Carter … A marketing major who has earned multiple ECU Honor Roll accolades for work in the classroom … Hobbies include music (playing the drums) and hunting.