Post by nickthequik on Nov 29, 2011 3:39:16 GMT -5
Can't Stop Won't Stop: Landon Carter Biography
When you ask a middle school flag football team who wants to play in the UFSL when they grow up, you’ll see almost every hand raised. Every kid has the dream to be on the best team, the dream to be in the spotlight, and the dream to be the game-winning hero. Many of these kids don’t have the talent to make it to the college level. The few kids that do have the talent don’t have the work ethic or determination it there. It’s rare to come by a player who has raw talent, and the determination and effort to work for everything he’s got. This story is about a kid that has both.
Childhood
Landon Carter was born in Woodland Hills, California on July 17, 1989. Landon’s father worked in the television business, switching from show to show, being out of a job every now and then until he found a new show to work on. His mother taught at a private elementary school called St. Mel’s. Landon went to the school from kindergarten until eighth grade, along with his two siblings. His big sister is five years ahead of him and his little brother is five years behind him.
His older sister was a great student throughout middle school and high school, and got into a great school in UC Berkeley. She studied biology and is striving to be a veterinarian. His little brother avoided being a football player and is more interested in basketball. Landon played flag football for St. Mel’s and had high school scouts swarming around him after every game. When he finally graduated he made the decision to play at a public school, William Howard Taft High, and this is where his amazing high school career began.
High School
In his freshman year, Carter played starting quarterback on the junior varsity team. The coaches told him he was too small to play varsity. Carter went on to throw for over 2140 yards and 20 touchdowns in nine games. Late in the season, the varsity senior quarterback went down with an injury and they told the freshman Carter he would be starting for the rest of the season, including playoffs. Carter went on to throw seven more and touchdowns in the remaining three games of the season, and saved the Taft Toreadors playoff spot. Taft went on to win one game in the playoffs but lost to high school powerhouse De La Salle.
Carter went on to start on varsity for the next three seasons. In three seasons, Carter brought three division titles to Taft, along with two California State Championships in his junior and senior years. In his thirty nine regular season games in his varsity career, Landon Carter threw for 9870 yards, 71 passing touchdowns, rushed for 431 yards and 12 touchdowns, and only threw nine interceptions. His record as a starter was 34-5 in the regular season, and 7-1 in the playoffs. He became a Taft High School Legend. Landon Carter was the most sought out rookie in California and was getting full scholarship offers from every team in the Pac-10. He decided to sign with the University of Oregon.
College
Oregon was ranked #24 in the pre-season rankings the year Carter signed with the Ducks. Landon Carter had a legendary year for the Ducks, leading them to a national championship and an undefeated season. As a freshman quarterback, Carter threw for 3825 yards and 35 touchdowns. Carter led the entire nation in passing yards, touchdown passes, first downs, completion percentage, and quarterback rating. Scouts have never been so excited about a single player until Landon Carter. He was already a lock at going number one overall, even with one more year still to go at Oregon. Colin Cowherd was quoted saying that, “Carter reminds me of a young Randall Cunningham, but with Tom Brady’s accuracy. This kid is a freak of nature.”
Injury
Then, in the off-season after his legendary freshman year, Carter got hit with what most people would call a career ending injury. Carter’s knee gave out on him during a pick-up basketball game with some of the Oregon basketball players. His diagnosis was that he had a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and strained MCL. Carter got three different doctors to take a look at his injury. All three said the same two things to him: They’ve never seen anything quite like this injury, and that there’s no coming back from it. Carter’s career as a quarterback was surely over.
Landon could have had everyone in the world tell him his days of playing football were now gone. This wasn’t going to stop this kid from doing everything he can to get back on the field. He was still eighteen years old when he got injured, turning nineteen that July. He believed with enough work and determination that no matter how long it took him, he’d be back on the field one day.
The Come Back
Carter stayed on the Oregon football squad. Kept on the injured reserve, Carter was almost a coach on the sidelines, especially for the quarterback who took his spot. This was tough for him, especially since he was in a wheelchair or on crutches for all of his sophomore year. Carter’s injury also opened his eyes to the fact that he had to do better in school, especially since he wasn’t supposed to ever play again. He changed his major to sports medicine, and studied his hardest.
His junior year, Carter was much healthier; no more wheelchair and no more crutches. But he still wore a brace at all times and couldn’t run, jump, or move very well. The doctor’s were impressed with how well the physical therapy has helped Carter over one year, and how well he learned about his own injury and other injuries through his studies. Carter’s grade point average was at a steady 3.5, and he now had something else he loved to do besides play football.
In his senior year Carter was still unable to play for the Ducks. But after all he gave to that team he had more say in what happens then most of the coaches out there. He was a big part of the Oregon football program and even got to practice near the end of the season. He was moving much better, still doing physical therapy everyday. His therapist told him that he had made more than five years of progress in just a couple years of his therapy. Carter graduated from Oregon with a physical therapist’s degree and was set to turn twenty two years old that coming July. He could have looked for a job at a physical therapist’s office to start his career, but instead, he sought out a rookie combine for the UFSL and made his appearance in August.
At first, people didn’t take Carter seriously. The kid hasn’t played a football game since his national championship win at Oregon his freshman year. But when it was Carter’s turn to run an offense during a scrimmage, he made the defense look like little boys. Carter went from the kid who everyone took pity on, to the kid who everyone wandered what planet he was from. After three years of Carter not playing, two of which he could barely walk, he looked like the best quarterback in the combine and had all the scouts buzzing, which now brings us to the present.
Present Day
Agent Nick Catania, who has been known to take on players that are underdogs to the league, sought out Carter and they became great friends and partners. Carter then entered the draft, not knowing what to expect. Though he did have scouts buzzing about him, he wasn’t proven enough compared to some of the other quarterbacks in the draft. But the general manager of the Seattle Stormtroopers took a chance with Carter and drafted him with the 27th overall pick. He’s now practicing with them as the starting quarterback and is waiting until the season starts to prove to everyone that he is still that amazing athlete and quarterback we saw four years ago at the University of Oregon.
Pros and Cons
Landon Carter’s main strength lies in his throwing accuracy. Being compared to Tom Brady is an honor for any quarterback Landon’s age. His quarterback vision is very impressive, with his height helping him see over line-men. His completion percentage hovered around 70% at Oregon, and obviously put up other legendary statistics as well. Carter can also run the ball when needed, and has a great knack for finding a way to get that first down.
The only weakness Carter really has is his leg. The power behind his throws suffers because he still can’t push off his leg as much as he’d like. Along with this, throwing on the run and breaking tackles are things he also can’t do as well as he used to. But everyday that goes by, Carter’s leg gets stronger and stronger, and his weaknesses get smaller and smaller.
When you ask a middle school flag football team who wants to play in the UFSL when they grow up, you’ll see almost every hand raised. Every kid has the dream to be on the best team, the dream to be in the spotlight, and the dream to be the game-winning hero. Many of these kids don’t have the talent to make it to the college level. The few kids that do have the talent don’t have the work ethic or determination it there. It’s rare to come by a player who has raw talent, and the determination and effort to work for everything he’s got. This story is about a kid that has both.
Childhood
Landon Carter was born in Woodland Hills, California on July 17, 1989. Landon’s father worked in the television business, switching from show to show, being out of a job every now and then until he found a new show to work on. His mother taught at a private elementary school called St. Mel’s. Landon went to the school from kindergarten until eighth grade, along with his two siblings. His big sister is five years ahead of him and his little brother is five years behind him.
His older sister was a great student throughout middle school and high school, and got into a great school in UC Berkeley. She studied biology and is striving to be a veterinarian. His little brother avoided being a football player and is more interested in basketball. Landon played flag football for St. Mel’s and had high school scouts swarming around him after every game. When he finally graduated he made the decision to play at a public school, William Howard Taft High, and this is where his amazing high school career began.
High School
In his freshman year, Carter played starting quarterback on the junior varsity team. The coaches told him he was too small to play varsity. Carter went on to throw for over 2140 yards and 20 touchdowns in nine games. Late in the season, the varsity senior quarterback went down with an injury and they told the freshman Carter he would be starting for the rest of the season, including playoffs. Carter went on to throw seven more and touchdowns in the remaining three games of the season, and saved the Taft Toreadors playoff spot. Taft went on to win one game in the playoffs but lost to high school powerhouse De La Salle.
Carter went on to start on varsity for the next three seasons. In three seasons, Carter brought three division titles to Taft, along with two California State Championships in his junior and senior years. In his thirty nine regular season games in his varsity career, Landon Carter threw for 9870 yards, 71 passing touchdowns, rushed for 431 yards and 12 touchdowns, and only threw nine interceptions. His record as a starter was 34-5 in the regular season, and 7-1 in the playoffs. He became a Taft High School Legend. Landon Carter was the most sought out rookie in California and was getting full scholarship offers from every team in the Pac-10. He decided to sign with the University of Oregon.
College
Oregon was ranked #24 in the pre-season rankings the year Carter signed with the Ducks. Landon Carter had a legendary year for the Ducks, leading them to a national championship and an undefeated season. As a freshman quarterback, Carter threw for 3825 yards and 35 touchdowns. Carter led the entire nation in passing yards, touchdown passes, first downs, completion percentage, and quarterback rating. Scouts have never been so excited about a single player until Landon Carter. He was already a lock at going number one overall, even with one more year still to go at Oregon. Colin Cowherd was quoted saying that, “Carter reminds me of a young Randall Cunningham, but with Tom Brady’s accuracy. This kid is a freak of nature.”
Injury
Then, in the off-season after his legendary freshman year, Carter got hit with what most people would call a career ending injury. Carter’s knee gave out on him during a pick-up basketball game with some of the Oregon basketball players. His diagnosis was that he had a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and strained MCL. Carter got three different doctors to take a look at his injury. All three said the same two things to him: They’ve never seen anything quite like this injury, and that there’s no coming back from it. Carter’s career as a quarterback was surely over.
Landon could have had everyone in the world tell him his days of playing football were now gone. This wasn’t going to stop this kid from doing everything he can to get back on the field. He was still eighteen years old when he got injured, turning nineteen that July. He believed with enough work and determination that no matter how long it took him, he’d be back on the field one day.
The Come Back
Carter stayed on the Oregon football squad. Kept on the injured reserve, Carter was almost a coach on the sidelines, especially for the quarterback who took his spot. This was tough for him, especially since he was in a wheelchair or on crutches for all of his sophomore year. Carter’s injury also opened his eyes to the fact that he had to do better in school, especially since he wasn’t supposed to ever play again. He changed his major to sports medicine, and studied his hardest.
His junior year, Carter was much healthier; no more wheelchair and no more crutches. But he still wore a brace at all times and couldn’t run, jump, or move very well. The doctor’s were impressed with how well the physical therapy has helped Carter over one year, and how well he learned about his own injury and other injuries through his studies. Carter’s grade point average was at a steady 3.5, and he now had something else he loved to do besides play football.
In his senior year Carter was still unable to play for the Ducks. But after all he gave to that team he had more say in what happens then most of the coaches out there. He was a big part of the Oregon football program and even got to practice near the end of the season. He was moving much better, still doing physical therapy everyday. His therapist told him that he had made more than five years of progress in just a couple years of his therapy. Carter graduated from Oregon with a physical therapist’s degree and was set to turn twenty two years old that coming July. He could have looked for a job at a physical therapist’s office to start his career, but instead, he sought out a rookie combine for the UFSL and made his appearance in August.
At first, people didn’t take Carter seriously. The kid hasn’t played a football game since his national championship win at Oregon his freshman year. But when it was Carter’s turn to run an offense during a scrimmage, he made the defense look like little boys. Carter went from the kid who everyone took pity on, to the kid who everyone wandered what planet he was from. After three years of Carter not playing, two of which he could barely walk, he looked like the best quarterback in the combine and had all the scouts buzzing, which now brings us to the present.
Present Day
Agent Nick Catania, who has been known to take on players that are underdogs to the league, sought out Carter and they became great friends and partners. Carter then entered the draft, not knowing what to expect. Though he did have scouts buzzing about him, he wasn’t proven enough compared to some of the other quarterbacks in the draft. But the general manager of the Seattle Stormtroopers took a chance with Carter and drafted him with the 27th overall pick. He’s now practicing with them as the starting quarterback and is waiting until the season starts to prove to everyone that he is still that amazing athlete and quarterback we saw four years ago at the University of Oregon.
Pros and Cons
Landon Carter’s main strength lies in his throwing accuracy. Being compared to Tom Brady is an honor for any quarterback Landon’s age. His quarterback vision is very impressive, with his height helping him see over line-men. His completion percentage hovered around 70% at Oregon, and obviously put up other legendary statistics as well. Carter can also run the ball when needed, and has a great knack for finding a way to get that first down.
The only weakness Carter really has is his leg. The power behind his throws suffers because he still can’t push off his leg as much as he’d like. Along with this, throwing on the run and breaking tackles are things he also can’t do as well as he used to. But everyday that goes by, Carter’s leg gets stronger and stronger, and his weaknesses get smaller and smaller.
