Nathan Carter is grateful, ready to do his part to help the Spartans win

The "Spartan Football Kickoff" had just finished and Michigan State football's spring practice was officially over. Those gathered near section 20 watched as redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter walked into the stands to say hello and get a picture with his girlfriend. After a grueling couple hours on the gridiron, Carter ended up spending a significant time shaking hands, signing autographs, and taking pictures with Spartan fans before he had the opportunity to get that picture with his girlfriend.

“You have to be able to take in these opportunities, because at the end of the day, football is not going to last forever and one day you’re going to be looking back and be like, ‘Man, I actually miss going to camp, I miss going to the games,’” Carter told Spartans Illustrated recently. “I try to be grateful for every opportunity. I know that God placed me here for a reason. I’m trying to be grateful for the opportunity that I have and take advantage of it.”

The running backs room is quite full at Michigan State these days, and running backs coach Effrem Reed is pushing his players to improve on last year’s lackluster performance on the ground, saying there are "no excuses" in 2023.

Carter says that things are different this year and that they are pushing each other to make everyone that much better.

“Everybody in that [running backs] room is going to be needed this year,” Carter told Spartans Illustrated after fall camp practice this week. “We all attack practice trying to make each other better and making sure we are all improving on our craft. Yes, it’s very competitive, but at the end of the day, we’re all teammates and we’re going to need everybody to play.

“We’re going to have a lot of good running. We’re going to have a lot of running backs producing a lot of yards this season. That’s what we’re preparing for, that’s our goal. We’re going to be prepared and we’re going to be ready. Because we have a versatile group, we’re going to get a lot of fresh legs in and out of the game, which is going to help us a lot.”

It’s going to be a competitive battle throughout fall camp to determine who is going to get what share of the carries and who will be on the field during specific offensive instances. However it works out, though, Carter is bought into the Spartan teamwork mentality.

“Our mindset is to be a selfless teammate,” said Carter. “That’s one of our core values: we have the Spartans' best interest first. Whoever Coach Reed throws out there, we’ll know there will be a good job done and it’s our job as teammates to make sure we are always ready – whether the one, the two, or the three – make sure we are always ready.

"We celebrate each other. We’re all talented in that room and we all can do a lot of different things. We understand our roles and we’re continuously growing and building each other up to be better teammates and better football players. We hold each other up to a very high standard.”

When he found out he was coming to MSU, Carter watched Kenneth Walker III's film and how he approached practices and games. After enrolling early at Michigan State, Carter says he is now “very, very comfortable” with MSU’s playbook and scheme.

“Continuously improving on that, making things faster,” said Carter about what he’s working on now. “What’s the defense doing, what’s the line front, how do I read this on the inside zone, where am I supposed to be on this play, outside zone, where am I supposed to go – things like that.”

His offseason conditioning went well.

“I feel great, I feel strong, I feel much quicker, faster than I was in the spring,” said Carter. “I’m excited to build on that.”

Besides the obvious benefits that a running back gains from getting stronger, Carter thinks that the added strength is going to also help him in pass protection. He’s excited to be able to generate a lot of power, get his hands out there, and slow down the incoming defense. He knows the linebackers in the Big Ten are going to be bigger and stronger than they were when he was at Connecticut.

Carter’s time at UConn ended with an injury so he’s not taking anything for granted. He’s enjoying every minute that he has on the field.

When asked to describe himself to Spartan Nation, Carter referenced his faith extensively.

“[I’m] a guy who’s ready to work, a guy who loves the Lord, who’s a big believer in his faith,” Carter said with a confident smile. “I want people to not look at me as a football player but look at me as a follower of Jesus. If I can use my gift to be able to promote His name, then I’ve done my job.”

Carter participated in Athletes in Action when he was at Connecticut and hooked up with the MSU chapter of the organization when he got to campus. The day he arrived in East Lansing, he agreed to go on a mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

“It was a blessing to go to another country and be able to share the gospel and help people grow in their walk with Christ,” Carter said. “It was really fruitful for me, and it was a good experience. If I hadn’t come to Michigan State, I would have never had this opportunity. So, I’m grateful to be here, at this amazing school, and have opportunities to do things like that.”

When asked what he took from the trip, Carter shared his gratitude for what he’s been given and where he is at in life.

“When you go to a foreign country, you see a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” Carter explained. “When we come to the States, I think a lot of us are just discontent in what we have. We are really blessed to be here in the States compared to other countries in the world. To be able to go to South Africa and see that and be able to see how joyful those people are in the midst of not having much; it was really eye-opening for me. I try to come back here and be content with all that I have, whether it’s a little, whether it's a lot, to be content and be gracious and grateful for what God has given me, and thankful for where He has me at.”

As far as his role on the football team goes, Carter realizes that not everything will turn out perfectly.

“[I have a ] one-play mentality,” Carter said. “Things are not always going to go our way. That’s just the game of football, that’s the game of life. So you’ve got to be able to move forward each and every time. I’m ready to work. I want to be a great teammate and come here and work and do whatever I’m asked to do and do my part, use my abilities, to help the team win.”

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