Fresno State Athletics
Catching Up With Chris Carter
1/4/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 4, 2012
FRESNO, Calif. - Former Fresno State Bulldog Chris Carter is in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has helped his team reach the playoffs.
Carter has played in eight games during his rookie year and has recorded three tackles. Pittsburgh travels to Denver to play the Broncos this Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m. PT.
GoBulldogs.com recently sat down with the Steelers linebacker to talk to him about his experiences in the NFL and at Fresno State...
GoBulldogs.com: You recently traveled back with the Steelers to California to play the 49ers. Was it good to be back in your home state and do you miss Fresno much?
Chris Carter: "It felt great to be back in my home state. The second we landed I had a huge smile on my face. There's nothing like coming home, ya' know! And I definitely miss Fresno. It's such an extremely supportive town full of good, hardworking people. I've had many life changing moments in Fresno for the better and I'll never forget that place."
GoBulldogs.com: Tell us a little bit about your experiences during your rookie season in the NFL?
Chris Carter: "It's been fun so far. Training camp was very intense and long, but it wasn't too difficult to adjust to because I feel like Fresno prepared me to deal with tough training camps over the years. This season is also a switch up to what I'm used to because it's a lot longer. As far as living in the city of Pittsburgh, it has been pretty fun so far. The people here are great and extremely supportive as well. I've really enjoyed it so far."
GoBulldogs.com: After being named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, you were a fifth round pick of the Steelers. I'm sure this past year has been one fun ride, what are a couple of the things you will cherish most from 2011?
Chris Carter: "This past year was amazing. I was able to accomplish so many goals that I set for myself and I owe a lot of my success to my teammates and coaches at Fresno State. They helped me develop so much, not only as a football player, but as a man. I learned so much in my four years there that will be the foundation for me to build the rest of my life on. I'm very appreciative of it. Therefore, I will definitely cherish being with those guys. I will also cherish the entire draft process, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and being able to be involved in all of those events was an honor and a ridiculous amount of fun."
GoBulldogs.com: How well did Fresno State prepare you for life after college, both as a person and as a football player?
Chris Carter: "Fresno taught me to be self-organized, self-motivated and most importantly taught me self-discipline. With those three things I've been able to accomplish a lot and am on the path to accomplishing more."
GoBulldogs.com: Your senior season as a Bulldog saw you record 11 sacks. What kind of feelings do you get as a player when you sack the quarterback?
Chris Carter: "It's an instant rush. That's that moment where all of your hard work during the week at practice pays off. That's the moment when you know for a fact that you helped your team in a major way while at the same time making a statement to the other teams that you have yet to play."
GoBulldogs.com: With the hiring of new head coach Tim DeRuyter, the Bulldogs will be playing a 3-4 defense next year. You play in a 3-4 with the Steelers. What can Fresno State fans expect to see from that type of defense?
Chris Carter: "There will be a lot more blitzes and opportunities for interceptions. It also is a really good defense for shutting down the option and pistol offense."
GoBulldogs.com: Do you think Fresno State's defense will excel in a 3-4 scheme?
Chris Carter: "I definitely think they will excel in the 3-4 scheme. Being a defender in the same scheme now, I honestly enjoy it because I feel like it gives you more options to do different things with your players."
GoBulldogs.com: What do you enjoy doing in your free time away from football?
Chris Carter: "Resting. We are always on the move that when you finally get a chance to rest, you take advantage of it. If I'm not doing that, then I just go hang out with my teammates."
GoBulldogs.com: Your brother also plays in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. What were the two of you like growing up? Were there a lot of fierce competitions between you two?
Chris Carter: "We were actually extremely supportive of each other. We usually played on the same teams most of the time growing up, so naturally as brothers we had each other's back."
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