Notebook to Playbook Raymond Carter: The double-life of a student-athlete
notebooktoplaybook.com Take a day-by-day journey through the life of a Division-I college football player. Follow the struggle to balance school, football and everyday life.
THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN
COLLEGIAN DESIGN AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN
On the road to Vegas: A week in the mind of a college football player
Sunday, October 23 @humbleman_ray Woke up hurtin. Body Is sore @humbleman_ray My twitter been hacked that’s why y’all keep seeing these random weight lost tweets lol
Monday, October 24 @humbleman_ray “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out” - John Wooden
By CRIS TILLER and KEVIN LYTLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian
It’s 1:35 a.m. Sunday. For Ray Carter, it’s the end of one week and the beginning of another. The Colorado State football team just arrived from Texas and in six days he will be headed to Nevada. A busy schedule lies between. Recovering, homework, classes, practice every afternoon. For a student-athlete, there is no downtime. “Right after practice I always have something to do for school, you know, get papers done or study for exams,” Carter said. “Once I get home, all you want to do is lay down and go to sleep because you’ve got to do it the next day. You pretty much don’t have time to relax because you’ve always got something to do.” Carter is taking 15 credit hours this semester, working toward graduating in December with a degree in liberal arts and a minor in sociology. He’s also the starting running back. Weight lifting, film study, position meetings and, always, practice. “I think the time strain on today’s football players in college is more (than when I played),” CSU coach Steve Fairchild said. “I just think the game is more complicated. I think there’s more time that’s required to study film than maybe when I played. And probably school’s harder too, it’s more competitive in the classroom.” For Carter, it’s worth it. He has an outside chance to play professionally, but his education provides him with a future beyond football. “Without football, I don’t know where I would be right now,” Carter said. “I love the game. Football is keeping
@humbleman_ray Coming home in 2 weeks!! Can’t wait.
me going.” As Saturday gets closer, the pressure heightens. Carter squeezes in papers and tests while making the last preparations for the game. Las Vegas is close to his hometown, Los Angeles, and he has the rare chance to play in front of his biggest supporter — his mother. “She’s my motivation to keep going, because I mean, all the things she’s been through I just want to show her I’m capable of doing what I was planned to do because I know that makes her happy,” Carter said. At the stadium, Carter’s mom, Carol Carter-Harris, dons a white No. 20 CSU jersey, his number. She has supported Carter’s football career, which started at age seven. “I can’t tell you as a parent,” she said, “to come out to watch my son have to endure all types of hardness when it comes down to this sport and to continue to rise above every challenge that he has had to face. I can’t tell you how proud I am of him.” All the week’s work culminates in a small, three-hour period Saturday afternoon. For that short period of time, Carter can do what he loves. “Just being out there with your brothers. It don’t get better than that. It gets everybody revved up. It’s a once in a lifetime experience…it still gets me to this day, like I’m still a freshman.” Sports Editor Cris Tiller and Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Lytle can be reached at sports@collegian.com.
@humbleman_ray Finally updating my IPhone. Lol
Tuesday, October 25 @humbleman_ray I just wanna lay down all day. @humbleman_ray It’s beyond freezing in Foco and it’s starting to snow. Fml @humbleman_ray Just noticed that ima have to scrap all that damn snow off my car in the am. Smh.
Wednesday, October 26 @humbleman_ray I like how all the CO schools are closing but CSU smh. Great day to be a Ram lol @humbleman_ray We better be in the indoor today for practice that’s all I care about Lol. @humbleman_ray #thatawkwardmoment when you being followed by cameras around campus lol. PHOTOS BY HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN
ABOVE: Carter stands in front of his jersey from the 2007 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl played in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. following his senior season at Crenshaw High School. Carter played with current NFL stars Dez Bryant, Cam Newton and Joe Haden. TOP LEFT: Carter trudges through the falling snow on the way to class Wednesday. Carter, a native of Los Angeles, says he still isn’t used to the snow, “I’ve learned to deal with it, but not like it.” MIDDLE LEFT: During the second quarter of the 38-35 loss to UNLV, Carter stiff arms a defender. He carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards. BOTTOM LEFT: Carter spends a couple minutes with his mom, Carol Carter-Harris, before getting on the buses to go to the airport. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of him,” she said.
THE LIFE OF A STUDENT-ATHLETE:
Thursday, October 27 @humbleman_ray I got a crack on my windshield from that damn ice today. Smh.
3:30 p.m. Football practice
10 a.m.
5 p.m.
Last class before leaving for Las Vegas.
12:45 p.m.
Dinner at C.B. & Potts with the team.
Meets with reporters in the Lory Student Center. Walks to class.
7:15 p.m. PST 1:15 p.m. PST
Arrive at Loews Lake Las Vegas Hotel
Warmup before the game.
1 p.m.
1:35 a.m.
Goes to meetings and prepares for practice.
1 p.m.
Bus arrives at McGraw Athletic Center after the UTEP game. CSU lost 31-17.
Last class of the day.
“She’s my motivation to keep going because I mean, all the things she’s been through. I just want to show her I’m capable of doing what I was planned to do because I know that makes her happy.”
@humbleman_ray Just knocked out two papers in 2 hours. #winning
Friday, October 28 @humbleman_ray Landed safety in Vega!! @humbleman_ray Vegas*
Ray Carter
@humbleman_ray This hotel is beyond nice.
3:30 p.m.
Dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
Return to McGraw Center for treatment, rehab and team meetings.
Goes home for the night.
10 a.m. 8 a.m.
In class.
Position meeting.
11 a.m.
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Weight-lifting in athletic center.
Break from class and meeting with a professor at 12:30 p.m.
1:50 p.m. 2 p.m.
3 p.m. Group project in Morgan Library.
In meetings and preparing for practice.
10 a.m.
Morning class.
1:30 p.m.
Goes straight to McGraw Center for meetings and practice preparation.
Running at outdoor practice field until 4:30 p.m.
Spends the evening studying and hanging out at home.
1 p.m. Afternoon class.
3 p.m. Football practice in the indoor practice facility.
Leave McGraw Center to go home.
@humbleman_ray I need to get out this mood that I’m in.
GAMEDAY
6:15 p.m. PST
6:30 p.m. PST
Leave the airport for the stadium.
Walk-through at the stadium in Vegas.
Follow Ray Carter on Twitter @humbleman_ray
GO ONLINE
Walk-through at the indoor practice facility.
7 p.m.
Saturday, October 29
Bus leaves the stadium.
Arrive at the stadium.
FRIDAY
9 a.m.
Noon
4 p.m.
Bus to Fort CollinsLoveland airport.
7:30 p.m. PST
1 p.m. PST
Meeting and dinner in Vegas.
4:30 p.m.
Only class of the day.
TUESDAY
MONDAY
8 p.m. PST
11 a.m.
Class cancelled because of the snow.
Online test.
SUNDAY
12:50 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Goes home for the night.
@humbleman_ray Relaxing on the patio music going up
9 a.m. PST Breakfast, team meetings and chapel.
3 p.m. PST Gametime: 11 carries, 43 yards. 1 catch, 0 yards. CSU loses to UNLV 38-35
11:45 p.m. Plane arrives in Loveland. Team heads back to campus.
3:30 p.m. Football practice outside. Closed to media.
12:15 p.m. PST Board buses for the stadium.
3 p.m. Buses depart for Texas Roadhouse.
9 p.m. PST
“Without football I don’t know where I would be right now. I love the game. Football is keeping me going.” Ray Carter PHOTOS BY HUNTER THOMPSON AND SAM NOBLETT | COLLEGIAN
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Noon
Visit with mom after the game.
Leave for Vegas.
Only class of the day.
6:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m. PST 5 p.m.
11 a.m.
1:45 a.m.
@humbleman_ray How this girl wearing heels in the snow?
When people think of college football players, they think of kids getting a free education and all they have to do is play a game. But their education is anything but free. These studentathletes have a time commitment few know or understand. This is the story of Ray Carter. Full-time student, fulltime athlete.
Plane leaves airport and team heads back to Fort Collins.
5:45 p.m. PST Arrive in Vegas.
10 p.m. PST Bed check.
THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN
COLLEGIAN DESIGN BY GREG MEES | COLLEGIAN
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of my son. My son is very resilient. And he is a visionary. He sets his mind and his goals, no matter what he has been through, no matter what challenges he has had to face, he continues to rise above every challenge that he has had to face in his career that he’s had. He is determined to continue to do what he has to do to contribute as a team member and to set individual goals for himself.” Carol Carter-Harris | Ray Carter’s mother
photos by hunter thompson | COLLEGIAN
Carter walks off the field following the 38-35 loss to UNLV. Within the hour Carter and the rest of the team are on the bus heading to the airport to go home to Fort Collins and start the next week.
Carter mentally prepares before the UNLV game by listening to music on his Beats headphones.
The full week’s preparation turns into laser-like focus for Carter come gametime against UNLV.
Carter jokes with teammates during Friday night’s walkthrough at Sam Boyd Stadium.