Former Georgia defensive tackle and current draft prospect Jalen Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation Thursday after pleading no contest to charges of racing and reckless driving in an incident that led to two deaths. Carter is now less of a risk to NFL teams, who can expect he’ll be available to play in 2023 so long as he complies with probation.
According to Athens-Clarke County Police Department arrest warrants, Carter was racing football staffer Chandler LeCroy when LeCroy crashed into trees and two utility poles. Both LeCroy and a passenger, UGA football player Devin Willock, were killed, and two other passengers were injured.
Carter, who was also fined $1,000, ordered to do 50 hours of community service and required to complete a driving course, faced two misdemeanor charges that each carried a maximum one-year jail sentence. His attorney, Kim Stephens, told the Associated Press Carter fully complied with law enforcement’s investigation and was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Although probation requirements can vary, they ordinarily require a defendant to avoid any illegal activity and any associations with known criminals. Probation also usually involves compliance with drug and alcohol tests. A defendant who violates probation can be sent to jail.
Carter’s problematic driving has been a recurring issue. Last September Carter was given a speeding ticket for driving 89 mph in a 45-mph zone.
Although Carter wasn’t an NFL player when the incident occurred, the league has a precedent for punishing a player for pre-draft conduct. In 2011, the NFL suspended former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor before his NFL career for “undermining the integrity of our draft eligible rules.” Whether a player not yet in the league—and thus not a member of the NFLPA—should be eligible for personal conduct punishments is a debatable question.
Carter has slipped in most mock drafts, for a number of reasons, but now that his criminal charges have been resolved without a jail sentence, teams can base their draft decisions on performance and not availability.
