New Bears Guard Triumphs Over Tragedy
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NFL players derive inspiration and motivation from various sources.
New Bears guard Ja'Tyre Carter draws some of his from the memory of his brother following a family tragedy. Five days short of his graduation from White Castle High School in Louisiana, Carter's brother Orthello was in a car accident and died as a result.
"He had died when I was in high school and I just take him everywhere I go and he just helps me keep going," Carter said.
"He's just in my heart everywhere I go. He's right there. He's got a special place."
Ja'Tyre played tackle and Orthello defensive end, so they went after each other daily at camp. His brother was a year older.
"He won," Carter recalled of their battles.
It's not surprising probably because Ja'Tyre didn't even play football until his junior year after a football assistant convinced him to go out.
"I played football, basketball and we did track and field together," Carter said. "(Orthello) was a quiet guy, man. He was cool with everybody. He stayed out of the way. He was never in trouble. He was a good kid. It was just unfortunate how that had to happen."
Carter learned plenty from his brother besides football.
"Just being a great person, man, you can be good at football and be a bad person," Carter said. "So just being a good person, being respectful to everybody and just showing everybody love."
Carter has two younger brothers and two younger sisters. He led the basketball team at the school to one small school state title. It's a school with an enrollment of 325 students.
"We've only got one stoplight down there and everybody's house is probably across the street from each other," he said.
Playing at Southern University was a big step up, although the HBCU school hasn't exactly been a football factory. Carter is the first player drafted from there in 18 years.
So when he got to the Senior Bowl he had to make a statement for scouts. It was there that Bears sout Breck Ackley saw Carter going against an Oklahoma player in one-on-one drills and it confirmed his belief that the higher level wouldn't be too much for him.
"I would say like you know that was my first time going against high-level competition so I was going in a little (like) I didn't know what was going to happen," Carter said. "So after that first rep I was like, 'I can play with these guys.'
"So when I came back up, because I'm very competitive, I like to win, I hate losing more than I love winning. So after that first rep I was like 'man, I'm going back in, I'm going to win this rep no matter what happens.' "
The seventh-round pick has moved from tackle to guard with the Bears.
The switch from small town Louisiana and HCBU school to one of the biggest cities in the country and NFL level has definitely caught Carter's attention.
Halas Hall itself was huge step up.
"It was just crazy, it was just a sight, man, just coming from small schools in high school and college," Carter said. "So it was just a lot to take in."
It's a journey he's taken in with someone in his heart and always on his mind.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
