Army Bowl honors Carter

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Four-star cornerback Alex Carter of Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods decided to end his recruiting process early with a commitment to Stanford, but that has not stopped the accolades from coming in. Carter accepted his U.S. Army All-American Bowl game jersey on Thursday in front of his school, further proving to everyone that he is one of the top players in the country.

"I was really excited when I first got invited," said Carter. "I've watched the game for the past couple of years and I've seen all of the great players that were in it. So when I got invited, I felt pretty special that they considered me as one of the top players in the nation."

Late Thursday morning, Carter was able to solidify his invitation by accepting his game jersey.

"I was a little bit anxious," said Carter. "I got to stand in front of my entire school and be presented with the Army All-American jersey, so it was kind of an exciting moment."

Many thoughts have gone through Carter's mind since his invitation to the game, including being able to play live on NBC.

"I'm happy that my friends and family will all be able to see me play without having to travel," said Carter. "They can just turn on the TV and see me out there doing what I love to do."

Another bonus for Carter is knowing that he will be able to play with and compete against players outside his home state.

"It's pretty cool," said Carter. "I get a chance to go out there and compete with the best of the best and prove that I deserve to be out there with them."

Considered one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Carter may also try his hand at another position during the game.

"They're actually bringing me in as an athlete, so I might be playing a little offense too," said Carter. "But at cornerback it's going to be challenging but also fun at the same time, because I love going out and competing."

While Carter is going out to the game with the hopes of impressing, he is also taking everything in stride.

"Honestly I just want to go out there and enjoy myself," said Carter. "I'm honored just to be able to play in the game."

Off the field, while some top prospects drag out their recruiting process until National Signing Day, Carter took a different approach and made a very early commitment to Stanford.

"I was never into the whole getting recruited by everyone thing, so I committed early," said Carter. "That way I could know where I was going and now I can just enjoy my senior year stress free."

As he has been able to sit back and enjoy his senior season, he has also been able to watch Stanford's impressive start this fall.

"They're having a great season, so it's pretty exciting to see them have a lot of success this year," said Carter.

What is making Carter enjoy his senior season even more is the success he and his team are having on the field.

"My team is doing pretty well," said Carter. "We're 8-1 and I think we've outscored our district opponents 343-40, or something like that. Hopefully we'll make it back to another state championship."

With the opposition knowing what Carter brings to the table, he has adapted his game and has done everything in his power to bring success to his team.

"I'm playing wide receiver, defensive back and I return kicks," said Carter. "Teams tend to stay away from me when I'm at cornerback for the most part and when I have the ball in my hands I like trying to make something exciting happen, so that's always fun. I'm used as a distraction a lot, but I'm having a pretty good season so far."

Carter and the East team take on the West in the 12th annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

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