The NFL Draft process can sometimes dehumanize prospects. There are countless stories about teams asking absolutely jarring interview questions, like if the player’s mother was a sex worker, which has just recently been banned. Analysts and evaluators in the media can be just as indecent as well. Most recently, Todd McShay raised concerns about Jalen Carter’s character, which have resurfaced.
“With Carter, there are some character issues, does he get along with everybody, What’s he like to deal with in the locker room, those sorts of issues,” McShay said on ESPN. “I know it’s early in the process, but I’m forewarning everybody out there. Carter is going to be a hot-button name when we talk about some of the intangible aspects of it.”
What’s strange is Todd McShay would go on to say that Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, who have “a long of history taking guys with questionable character and then developing them,” made a lot of sense at the No. 2 overall pick.
When those comments were made, it created an uproar, particularly among his teammates and coaches at Georgia, who took to social media to defend Carter. Most recently, Tray Scott, the Bulldogs’ defensive line coach, shared a story with The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman in which he pointed to walk-on Weston Wallace for his thoughts on Carter, pertaining to McShay’s comments.
*Wallace is a walk-on defensive lineman, and walk-ons don’t get to eat with the team during team meals*
“Jalen heard about that. I’m the only walk-on in the defensive line room and he goes, ‘I’m not gonna let that happen.’ So he used his scholarship money to pay for me to get lunch every single day,” Wallace said.
Jalen Carter didn’t bring this story to light. His position coach and teammate went out of their way to defend him. Wallace defended his teammate’s character further and directly refuted McShay’s comments.
“You honestly don’t know the guy if you think that. You can ask anybody on the team, whether it’s the O-line that he bullies every day out there … everybody thinks he’s an all-around great guy, and I think he’ll be great for any team that picks him.”
The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented in the NFL draft, particularly in the first round. Jalen Carter will be among the first three selections in April, and there should be no concern about his intangibles.
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