Jalil Carter facts for kids

Jalil Carter was a professional American football player. He was born on July 18, 1989. Jalil played as a cornerback, which is a defensive position in football. He played college football for the Akron Zips. Later, he joined teams like the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He even won the 100th Grey Cup with the Argonauts! He also played for the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League.

Early Life and High School Sports

Jalil Carter grew up in Toledo, Ohio. He went to St. John's Jesuit High School. There, he was a star in two sports: football and track.

Football Achievements

In football, Jalil played both wide receiver (on offense) and cornerback (on defense). He was a starter for two years. As a senior, he was named first-team All-City League for his offense. He caught 31 passes for 617 yards. Over his junior and senior years, he scored 16 touchdowns. He also made two touchdowns from kick returns. On defense, he had three interceptions as a senior. His team had a great record of 8 wins and 3 losses. They even made it to the state playoffs two years in a row.

Track and Field Success

Jalil was also a very fast runner on the track team. In his senior year, he won first place in the 200 meters race. He also placed ninth in the long jump at a big regional competition. He won the 200-meter dash at a district meet. He also finished second in the 100 meters race.

College Football Journey

Jalil Carter played college football at the University of Akron from 2007 to 2009. He played as a cornerback for the Akron Zips football team.

Freshman Year (2007)

As a freshman, Jalil played in all 12 games for his team. He was one of only two freshmen to do so. He mostly played on special teams. He also helped out as a backup at free safety, which is a defensive position.

Sophomore Year (2008)

In his second year, Jalil played in all 12 games again. He started the last seven games as a free safety. He made 48 tackles that season, which was ninth-best on his team. He also broke up four passes, forced a fumble, and made an interception. He even blocked a punt!

Junior Year (2009)

As a junior, Jalil was named an All-MAC Third Team player. He played in all 12 games and started the last seven as a strong safety. He was third on his team with 58 tackles. He also returned 13 kicks for 246 yards. In one game against Buffalo, he made a career-high 12 tackles and an interception. He also had 10 tackles against Northern Illinois.

Professional Football Career

After college, Jalil Carter played for several professional football teams.

St. Louis Rams

Jalil signed with the St. Louis Rams on July 29, 2011. However, he was released from the team shortly after, on August 9, 2011.

Cleveland Gladiators

In 2012, Jalil played for the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. He made four solo tackles and six assisted tackles. He also had one interception and recovered one fumble.

Toronto Argonauts

Jalil joined the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2012. He played in only four games that season but was very effective. He made 18 tackles and one special team tackle. The next year, in the 2013 CFL season, he played in 17 games. He had 48 defensive tackles, 3 special teams tackles, one quarterback sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery. In his third CFL season, the 2014 CFL season, Jalil again recorded 48 defensive tackles and 3 special teams tackles. He also made 5 interceptions that year. In January 2015, he was allowed to leave the Argonauts to sign with an NFL team.

Minnesota Vikings

On January 15, 2015, Jalil signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was released by the team on August 31, 2015.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

In 2015, Jalil played in four games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL. He started two of those games. He recorded nine defensive tackles and one special teams tackle for the team.