Jalen Carter is focused on the future after entering the NFL as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft. But the new Eagles defensive tackle could face additional questions about his recent past, with ESPN reporting Thursday that the former Georgia star was driving with a suspended license on the night of a fatal car crash involving a Bulldogs teammate and recruiting staffer.
Carter, 22, previously pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing for his reported role in the Jan. 15 incident, when he allegedly raced a vehicle driven -- and ultimately crashed -- by recruiter Chandler LeCroy, 24. Both LeCroy and Carter's teammate Devin Willock, 21, were killed in the accident.
Carter, who was sentenced to a 12-month probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to 80 hours of community service, was not charged with driving with a suspended license. But court documents indicate he did just that, per ESPN, after initially losing his license as a result of a 2022 speeding ticket.
Carter had elected to participate in traffic school after that speeding ticket, ESPN reported, but failed to do so. A wrongful death lawsuit recently filed by Dave Willock Sr., father of the late Devin Willock, also named Carter as a defendant, mentioning two other speeding incidents, including another 2022 stop that resulted from Carter allegedly going 89 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.
Carter's attorney, Kim Stephens, told ESPN that the defensive lineman would've been charged for the alleged suspended license if records had shown as much, claiming "the driver's history that the solicitor's office ran back in March of 2023 did not show any license suspension." Regardless, Carter cannot be retroactively charged with an additional wrongdoing since the case regarding the Jan. 15 accident is closed, according to ESPN.
Since drafting Carter No. 9 overall, the Eagles have repeatedly defended the rookie's character, reiterating they did extensive background work on the Georgia product in the lead-up to the draft.
