2008 Football Nanaimo News

Game day for star linebacker
By Greg Sakaki - Nanaimo News Bulletin - May 10, 2008

Oftentimes, all-star games are friendly exhibitions.

But with 92 university football players looking to impress pro scouts, today’s CIS East West Bowl game in Hamilton could turn into a hard-hitting affair.

“Once we get under those lights and everyone’s adrenaline is going, the game will quickly escalate,” predicted Thaine Carter, a middle linebacker on the East team.

Carter, a Dover Bay secondary grad who played with the Nanaimo Redmen, earned his spot in the CIS all-star game after a standout season with the Queen’s Golden Gaels.

The Ontario University Athletics first-team all-star led the Gaels in tackles this past season and was awarded the program’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player trophy.

He’s become a pro prospect, which is why he got an invitation to the East West Bowl game that is intended to showcase players who are eligible for the 2009 CFL draft.

Carter had to pay his dues to reach this point. For his first two seasons at Queen’s, he played behind an all-star, which limited his reps.

“Anybody that does make it to this level straight out of high school was a fairly prominent player in high school,” Carter said. “So it was kind of a tough pill to swallow that I had a lot to learn.”

But his coaches were attentive, Carter himself put in the work, and after starting half the games in 2006, the six-foot, 230 pounder became a defensive playmaker in 2007. His 47 tackles were seventh best in the conference and his eight tackles for a loss were a new school record.

He said the Golden Gaels’ improvement in the standings last season was far more important than any individual numbers, though.

“Once you start thinking about [statistics] you become an individual amongst a team, you separate yourself from the rest of the guys and you start playing very selfishly and your head grows and the ego grows,” Carter said. “That’s a very dangerous thing to play around with.”

This week, though, he can definitely try to showcase himself because he’s swapped his Queen’s colours for an all-star jersey. All week, the East West Bowl participants have been put through two-a-day practices, and Carter said a minor injury has made it hard for him to stand out.

He’ll be a go for game day today, though.

“I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to come out and show what I can actually do because as of yet, I haven’t really been able to express to the scouts and the rest of the players my true potential.”

He gives Football Nanaimo a ton of credit for helping him channel that potential and prepare him for the CIS game. He’s rooting for all the Redmen to go far in football, too.

“Just as soon as they get the opportunity to listen to the coaches, just listen to every word that they have,” Carter said. “Try to be the best player that they possibly can be.”

sports@nanaimobulletin.com