Carter High is a football movie. The success and failures in life are a lot of times in our control, he said. First published on August 16, 2017 / 9:40 PM. The movie has several Dallas ties. Gary Edwards, 17, a football player who played a prominent role in Carter's drive for a state championship, was sentenced to 16 years on three counts. ", The legacy of this team is somewhat of a cautionary tale. Welcome to Titletown High, Netflix docuseries that followed the lives of teenagers on the football team at Valdosta, the country's all-time winningest high school program. Texas Tech proceeded to cut him loose, and it put a serious limitation on his recruitment after joining EMCC. Carter won the state title but the story doesn't end there. That was done. But after the season, a group of Carter students that included Edwards, Evans and four teammates committed a string of armed robberies before being arrested and sentenced by a judge who told them, "If stupidity were a crime, you would all deserve life without parole.". So though hes 78 and often uses a cane to walk, James has spent the last three years working as a school crossing guard in South Dallas, a few miles east of his beloved Carter High. The team initially had to forfeit the games Edwards played in, but its playoff eligibility was reinstated for the first postseason game. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He made some hits that got you up out of your seat. Dallas filmmaker Arthur Muhammad, a junior wide receiver on the 1988 Carter team, dreamed for years of making a film about his teammates and finally was able to do so with the help of financial backers including former Dallas Cowboys player Greg Ellis. Stephens returns after seeing himself in the first season and vowing to curse less and empathize more see how long that lasts while Wagner begins to worry about whether shell reach her potential in Scooba. February was a busy month for stargazers with planetary alignments, a green comet flying past the Earth and even a fireball that scattered meteorites across Texas. Derric Evans, right, at a recent movie premiere. The film featured Dallas' 1988 Carter High School football season. "Derric is the same Derric," the director said. The players were arrested, tried and convicted. His involvement in the creative process is what kept the film from having a clichd happy ending, sticking with a Rocky-like ending where the heroes lose the big game. Hes also baptized, causing him to muse on his unique situation. But eventually retirement got to him. He has long been devoted to his fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, overseeing the local chapter's economic development dealings. Additionally, the audio story, as did a previous Web version, state that six Carter High School football players served time in prison. Derric Evans, Gary Edwards, Keith Campbell, Patrick Williams and Carlos Allen were all sentenced to serve time in prison. The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 2, 2018 Most fans knew Derek Luke for starring in Antwone Fisher in 2002. Among those sentenced by state District Judge Joe Kendall were Parade magazine All-American defensive back Derric Evans, who was sentenced to 20 years on each of four armed robbery counts, and running back-defensive back Gary Edwards, who received three 16-year terms. Instead of going off to play for college teams,those players went to prison. It all depended on how much money you had," Williams said during a presentencing hearing. At the courthouse, it simply doesnt matter that you can run the football. 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In fact, Muhammad said, none of the 10 Carter players involved in the armed robberies returned to prison after they were released. Emily Ochsenschlager and Jessica Smith produced and edited this interview for broadcast, and Nicole Cohen adapted it for the Web. But that 1988 Permian Panthers team, if you remember, didnt actually become champions. Starring movie icon Samuel L. Jackson as real-life high school basketball coach Ken Carter, and tells the story of how he changed the lives of the student-athletes on the basketball team at an inner-city high school in Northern California. ESPN's latest 30 for 30 film, What Carter Lost, premieres Thursday at 9:30 p.m. He agreed, wow, this is real.". Teenage boys were sent to prison. 42 overall junior college player in the 247Sports Composite. Heres what he remembers about the greatest champion in Texas that never was. In real life, Carter locked the gym and kept his undefeated basketball team (who inspired fictional students like Jason Lyle, played by Channing Tatum in his debut movie) from competing because they did not honor the academic and behavioral contracts that he had them sign at the beginning of the season. In reality, they had freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams, all of which Carter coached during his five years at Richmond High. Brief moderate exercise could reduce risk of early death. The Mesquite Horn offensive coach and quarterback who once led Carters team to victory remembers his high school days fondly it was the time, he says, he really felt like he was playing for the community. Thats definitely still part of the film, but its not the main focus. So the level of attention and adoration and intensity around that experience for a lot of people, that's the top. He also went on to carry the Olympic torch in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Carter also owns and runs Prime Time Publishing and Prime Time Sports, which offers sports marketing services. If you look in the media, my names just some person who does bad things, a person who just doesnt make great decisions, Rivers said. Everything changed. The seven others sentenced to prison were given terms ranging from 2 to 16 years. Yeah, I wish that had happened. It would be the first of 21 robberies that police connected to 15 Carter neighborhood teenagers, including six from the football team. August 16, 2017 / 9:40 PM A lot of people already know the story of Friday Night Lights, in which a West Texas high school fights for the state football title. But if you look at the real team's journey to the 1988 state title, you'll find a story about race and the pressures young athletes face a story Adam Hootnick explores in his documentary What Carter Lost. They had guys on who could just go. This video took me 4 hours to make and edit. You know, like football as long as they were doing football and in football it kept them away from making such bad decisions and choices. The 1988 Carter team is one of the most memorable tales of Texas football. Despite all the public attention, you are nothing but a bunch of crimnials who went out, put guns on honest working people, terrified them and took their money. Anyone can read what you share. Things went all downhill from there for the No. I think at some level they were chasing a rush.". He was a tough disciplinarian who once reportedly dragged a student from a billiards hall back to school. The No. He continued to coach at Richmond High School until 2002, at which point he left to coach the LA Rumble, a professional SlamBall team. The character names and circumstances were made up so as not to embarrass any of basketball coach Ken Carters real students with implications of criminal activities. The Latest NYC Import . The book "Friday Night Lights" is about a group of high school football players in Odessa, Texas, a town where football is king and Friday evenings are gospel. Carter/Fulton high schools. Eva-Marie Ayala/Staff Writer, Mesquite Horn offensive coordinator Robert Hall during football practice at John Horn High School in Mesquite. "It's a story that needs to be retold," he said. In the end, per ESPN, 21 players off that Carter team were offered college scholarships. State District Judge Joe Kendall ordered that an 11th youth be sent to a prison boot camp for young offenders. The Coach Carter true story is what helped the sports movie classic reach its iconic status. Williams attributed his involvement in the robberies to a desire for attention. Carter High is a football movie. If youd asked him then, heknew the story had potential. Nothing could deter the Cowboys on their way to winning the state championship that year. The senior guard is having a record-setting career at Colorado School of Mines. More recently its taken him as a high school football coach from Grand Prairie to Frisco to Mesquite. Muhammad, who renewed acquaintances with Evans when he began work on the movie, said Evans is still the same character he remembers from Carter days. Thats close to a third of players on a team that had just over 60 varsity players that season. March 1 (UPI) -- Britain's former health secretary allegedly rejected critical advice from the country's top medical officer to test elderly people for COVID-19 and keep them segregated prior to admitting them to care homes. All of us can think back to when we were teenagers and the decision processing of teenagers, Ellis says, that part of our brain is not fully developed until youre about the age 25.. Played on the team with the . Last Chance U was something of a surprise phenomenon last year as the show opened on Netflix to rave reviews. Do I wish I could have gone to Tennessee and to the NFL? March 1 (UPI) -- Nigerian election officials declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 70, the winner of Saturday's presidential election, keeping the country's ruling All Progressive Congress Party in power. Season Two is somewhat of a Greek tragedy for the now-sophomore. ", In the film, Hootnick interviews Texas high school football stars who went on to play professionally. 10 Texas Athletes Are Sentenced to Jail Terms for Robberies, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/24/us/10-texas-athletes-are-sentenced-to-jail-terms-for-robberies.html. Evans said he came to Houston after being released from prison to live with his mother, who moved to Houston in the early 1990s. In his final two seasons with the Bulldogs, Carter disrupted the interior of the defensive line behind six sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles over 27 games . But only 10% of those people were actually taking the drugs, a CDC study found. 41 dogs rescued from hoarder conditions in Missouri. "After the roller coaster of this season and postseason," Hootnick explains, "you had a few guys on that team really, to my mind, inexplicably going and joining an armed robbery ring for pretty much no reason. NEXT: The Fabelmans True Story: How Accurate It Is To Spielberg's Childhood. Katy football star back in the game in 'Carter'. Clarence Russeau Jr. near Routh Street in the State Thomas neighborhood where he grew up. "Derric didn't need to change. 'If stupidity were a crime, you would all deserve life without parole,' Kendall said. Johnson becomes one of the biggest leaders of the team and appears to be a model citizen during his time at East Mississippi Community College, having such a great season that at times, hes discussed as the best quarterback theyve had come through the school in recent years, a list that includes former Ole Miss star Chad Kelly, Mississippi State walk-on Wyatt Roberts and Auburn quarterback John Franklin III. When the University Interscholastic League investigated a tip that Carter player Gary Edwards had not passed algebra, West said, the political atmosphere was one where this team was being done wrong because it was African-American.. If you want to see Carter High you may have to search it out its been in limited releaseandproducers are still working on a broader distribution deal. Editor's note: Take a look back into The Dallas Morning News archives. This is one of the best teams in high school football history and yet this is a team that nobody knows from Friday Night Lights," said Hootnick. That team overcame obstacles just to reach the 1988 state title game, and what came after is almost too crazy to believe. "I didn't have respect for the law at that time and now I look at life in a more humble way," said Campbell. Instead, the message is that both the movie and the real Ken Carter taught their students is that sports aren't all that matters. That highlight went viral and even made SportsCenter, with Stephens pointing out Wright at a practice and stating, Hes the one that I think is special.. Permian is one of two large 5A high schools, the other being Odessa High School. Sergio Quintana reports. Muhammad was on that 1988 state championship team. Yates defense in 1985 allowed 4.8 points per game and pitched eight shutouts in a season in which it went 16-0. A protective father figure to his Carter players, he led them on to be one of the nation's best high school teams. It serves as a cautionary tale, Ellis said, to young viewers today. Players in Bold are currently in the league. Ken Carter is still very much in the full stride of his career having continued his work as a motivational speaker and author since the mid-'00s. I move on." The idea of making good choices and right decisions is discussed time and time again. He founded a school in Texas in 2009 the Coach Carter Impact Academy boarding school of which he is the dean and headmaster. Texas Standard for Feb. 27, 2023: The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer. He really missed being around students. DALLAS (CBS11) A private screening of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary "What Carter Lost," was held at the Texas Theatre on Wednesday night. The other, mostly white schools fought a legal battle to kick Carter out of the playoffs. New on 77WABC. I attacked that the same way I attacked football.". ", Former Katy High School football player Aundre Dean stars as a high school football player convicted of a series of robberies in the new film "Carter High. FBI Director: COVID-19 pandemic 'likely' started as Wuhan lab leak. And at a time when it seems the game is always in the cross-hairs, director Arthur Muhammad says Carter High isnt trying to show football in a bad light. I just wanted attention. When they fail to honor the contract, he keeps them off of the court despite the teams winning record. That title, until it was forfeited, belonged to Dallas Carter High School. Coach Freddie James retired from the Dallas school district two decades ago, off to travel and finally work on his wifes honey-do list. Carter Family FILE - Lillian Carter is flanked by her sons Jimmy, right, and Billy as she met them down at Billy's gas station, where the Carters and neighbors cleaned fish prior to a town cookout . Teens are shown engaged in the act of armed robbery, pointing guns at the employees of various . In Coach Carter, Jackson's Ken Carter returns to his former high school, Richmond High, to become the school's basketball coach. March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday amid ongoing special counsel investigations into the potential mishandling of classified documents by two presidents. Click to open player flyout to access more features. A Florida State transfer, Johnson made headlines before leaving Tallahassee for all the wrong reasons after he was booted from the team after assaulting a woman at the bar. While he states at one point that he wants to go to Georgia to be close to his mother, Carters strong finish to the year ends up with him heading back to Pennsylvania, this time with a scholarship to Pittsburgh. Not the ensuing legal battle that nearly kept them out of the playoffs. Ken Carter was considered a hero in Richmond after the 1998-1999 season. "I don't think you can fall much further," Hootnick says, "and I say that in part because of the level of the pedestal that, as a Texas high school football star, that's almost as big as it gets. When I came to him with the idea of doing the movie, I told him I wanted to show what really happened. March filled with assortment of astronomy events. Thats it. Things kept deteriorating to the point that Wright notes that he has two offers left: Louisiana Monroe and West Georgia. Like most movies based on true stories, certain characters were invented to serve the story. Just days after winning the state championship, a handful of Carter High players robbed a fast food joint. He signed with the University of Houston. "I'm not afraid of life, man," he said. But eventually, retirement got him. Some in the community agreed with West that prison sentences seemed harsh for young men who had made mistakes. Eva James says the movie tells people how it really was back in the late 1980s. "Carter High" is being released Friday for theaters in Dallas and Houston, and its backers are hopeful of nationwide release in November. Wright signed with West Georgia, a Division II program. And that's what he wanted, too. When discussing playing Ken Carter (via MovieWeb), Jackson spoke about the similarities he saw between himself the real-life basketball coach, saying, "He believes in education and he believes people should be accountable for things they say they are going to do.". According to the real Ken Carter in an interview with The Chicago Sun-Times, most of the story from the movie is accurate (via MTV). Hundreds of friends and relatives of the defendants wedged into a corridor outside the courtroom, and several began screaming and throwing their hands into the air after the sentences were announced. A high schoolstatefootball championship in Texas is arguably about more than just temporarybragging rights. But the long retired Russeau doesnt spend his time dwelling on the past. Thats been so long ago, almost 30 years. He wont be in Boca Raton by himself. Perhaps his finest moment came in 2007, where his number "33" was retired during the Mount St. Mary's v. Loyola game in Knott Arena in Maryland. Streaming Stations: all Podcasts. Most Americans with diabetes don't get recommended new medications. The 1988 Dallas Carter High School football team stormed its way to a state championship -- only to be brought down by an armed robbery scandal which sent half a dozen players to prison.. Then after the championship win, the title and all of the accolades were stripped from the team when six of it's players were convicted and sentenced in a string of robberies throughout the Dallas area. The documentary remembers the 1988 Dallas Carter high school football team which beat Permian High in. Arguably the greatest high school football team in Texas state history, Carters story is also seemingly made for film or print. After nearly 55 years of marriage, the two still love to tease each other. Who knew I would have came to Scooba, Mississippi and find Christ and get saved, you know? Allen asked. (Rose Baca/Staff Photographer). A 12th still faces sentencing. Carter began a successful career as a basketball analyst for ESPN, a co-host of "the NBA 2Night," and is currently an analyst on NBA TV. 46 JUCO in 247Sports Composite Mississippi State, CB TJ Jallow, No. Carter High in Dallas took the statechampionship in 1988, but thisnew film about the team is not all about victory. I think Im losing them. 98 junior college player in the 247Sports Composite, Carter shows all the potential of a dominant defensive tackle, which is why he was signed by Penn State out of high school. Coach Carter's true story is based on Ken Carter, the real-life basketball coach of Richmond High School in Northern California, and almost all of the events Samuel L. Jackson depicted while playing him actually happened. So thats the impact that I wanted to leave.. Samuel L. Jackson enjoyed participating in a movie with a message he truly believed in, and this passion is apparent in his performance bringing Ken Carter to life in Coach Carter. 98 junior college player in the 247Sports Composite, Carter shows all the potential of a dominant defensive tackle, which is why he was signed by Penn State out of high school. Actions have consequences, Kendall wrote. '', Judge Kendall sentenced the teen-agers after they had pleaded guilty to holding up a total of 21 restaurants, including some in which they worked. Solomon: DeMeco Ryans the right coach at the right time, 3 pressing questions facing new Astros GM Dana Brown, Jabari Smith Jr. growing up in NBA with an assist from his father, Poor parent behavior is driving high school sports refs away. But the record books dont tell the story of their success. The Coach Carter true story is what helped the sports movie classic reach its iconic status. Keith Campbell, 18, received a 25-year term for his involvement in four robberies. Carter, in 1988, allowed 7.9 points per game and never surrendered more than 24 points in any contest. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was real hard then, and I hope that people pick that up, she said. Additionally, keep an eye on quarterback Vijay Miller, who started the first game of the season and had a few positive moments in Last Chance Us second season. He was surprised a film was made so long after the fact and that he and others still in the area weren't contacted about the script. Caution, however, can work both ways. He often refers to her as Vivica now, after actress Vivica Fox who plays her in the movie. Over the course of one month in the spring of 1989, six Dallas Carter players, including Edwards and defensive back Derric Evans, were charged with committing a series of seven armed robberies. Wagner calls him the complete package and even notes that after getting to know Allen, she couldnt believe that his charges were correct. In another, the boys robbed a Mexican restaurant for $11,000. Aside from a few creative liberties to make the story more cinematic, Carter's perspective on the story was honored. Kendall declined to be interviewed for this story, other than to compliment the skills of defense attorneys West and Creuzot. Gary Edwards, 17, a football player who played a prominent role in Carter's drive for a state championship, was sentenced to 16 years on three counts. One of the few holdovers from season one, Wright famously put himself on the kickoff team in the first episode of the series, scoring on a long return and helping to kick the Lions into gear. I think that a lot their secondary including Derric Evans, who signed with Tennessee in a hot tub was very talented. 'I do not know anybody who has gone off to TDC who has come back and become a productive citizen.'. But I think they weren't ready for the adventure to be done. Your Favorite NFL Players of the '90s. A native of Tyler, he is a graduate of John Tyler High School, Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Austin. He and wife Eva spend most of their time at church functions. Two months after the big championship win at Texas Stadium, and after overcoming legal challenges due to grading system issues, the Carter High School football team was sent reeling after a number of their players got caught up in a robbery scheme. Chelsea Watkins. But his incident still follows him around in recruitment, with Allen stating that teams arent recruiting him because of the perception that Im a menace to society..

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