Sports spotlight: Markell carter
By Mike Tupa
Bartlesville Area Sports Report
MARKELL CARTER
No one laid out a red carpet for Markell Carter during his remarkable progress as a football player from a Bartlesville High team that won only seven games during his three years on varsity to a NFL draft pick.
Unfortunately, the fickle forces of the NFL’s career makers or breakers cast its lot against the talented and sharply-honed Carter.
Even so, the Bartlesville Bruin product deserved plentiful kudos for his athletic accomplishments.
As mentioned, his days in a Bruin uniform weren’t exactly golden. During his sophomore season (2004), the Bruins finished 3-7. They fell to 1-9 in 2005 and clawed out a 3-7 mark in his senior campaign. That’s not exactly the kind of success pattern that attracts a sideline full of college scouts at practices.
Despite the dominating impact of this grid titan in prep competition, he might have remained mostly a hidden gem.
But Carter benefitted from a rare dispensation of opportunity when nationally renown talent broker Max Emfinger invited him to his winter camp — as he did with many intriguing talents who had flown under the radar of the big college scouting spotlight.
Carter excelled at the camp and earned an invitation to play in the Max Emfinger All-American Bowl Game reserved for camp standouts. Out of that experience, Carter netted a football offer from the University of Central Arkansas.
His senior year numbers were eye popping: 62 tackles (25 solo), 19 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks (for minus-58 yards), seven quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and four recovered fumbles.
On the final draft day 2011, the New England Patriots called Carter's name on the sixth round (194th overall) — the first Bartlesville prep player to be drafted in 52 years.
Bad luck derailed Carter's opportunity — that was the spring of the infamous lockout, which prevented him and other rookies from participating in preseason workouts and showcase situations to make their case to make the roster.
Even so, Carter remained in uniform throughout the preseason and survived to the final cuts. He would sign with the Patriots' practice team — and be named the top practice player for the season. He also participated in the Super Bowl XLVI Media Day.
A few weeks later, the Patriots signed Carter to a new contract and the future looked bright for the former Bruin to have an honest shot at making the roster. Carter also received some positive publicity among the Patriots' media.
In what seemed a surprise move, the Patriots released Carter in early June of 2012 prior to the opening of the team camp. He explored a handful of opportunities to land in another NFL camp that summer — but without success.
However, Carter displayed valiant pluck — refusing to give up on himself or his dream.
For the next three years he made a strong effort to catch on with Arena Football Leagues (even suiting up for a playoff game but not getting to play) and with two teams with the Canadian Football League. In one those cases (2013) he was released prior to training camp, in the other CFL try (2015, 2016) he showed great promise and made the team — but spent his time on the injured or practice roster.
In 2014, Carter played several games with the Colorado Ice of the Indoor Football League and displayed strong potential.
But, sometime in 2016, about five years after the Patriots had drafted him, Carter hung up the cleats. He would coach as a Bartlesville assistant a year or two in the latter 2010’s.
Despite his hard luck, Carter proved the resolution of the determined soul is what makes a man a true warrior.
Markell Carter