X-Man Sacks Gridiron

Members Area In the News
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Carter chooses the track over the gridiron
Wednesday 21 June 2006
Xavier Carter, the 20-year-old sprinter who less than two weeks ago produced the finest showing at an NCAA Championships since the days of the legendary Jesse Owens, announced today that he’ll be pursuing the sport professionally, forfeiting his final two years at Louisiana State University as well as a possible career in American football.

For now, track over football

Xavier Carter, LSU - Four-event winner, 100m, 400m, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay - NCAA
(Kirby Lee)

In Sacramento 11 days ago, Carter, popularly known as the “X-Man,” capped a sterling weekend with a 10.09 personal best to win the 100 metres, ran the second leg on LSU’s winning 4x100 relay, before anchoring the victorious 4x400 relay. The day before, he won the 400 metres in 44.53, nearly two tenths of a second ahead of the runner-up, thus becoming the first man to ever win titles in the long and short dashes at the same championships.

"After what I accomplished at the NCAA meet last week I felt there was nothing more that I could do at the college level,” Carter said when announcing his decision today. “It also showed me that I have a good chance to achieve my dream of being an Olympic champion. So I decided to focus on that dream without the distractions of football or college track.”

Provisionally entered in the 100, 200 and 400 at this weekend’s U.S. national championships, Carter decided against competing in Indianapolis, choosing instead to recuperate from what he described as a “physically and psychologically draining” nine-race schedule in Sacramento.

“He didn’t want to start at a disadvantage,” said Mark Block of Total Sports Management, the firm that will represent Carter. Block added that the young star could resume his season early next month in Europe where he plans to contest a 100, 200 and possibly a 400 race.

Carter said that he’ll stay in Baton Rouge where he’ll continue to train, as well as complete his studies to “live up to the promise I made to my mother to get my degree from LSU. I like football,” he continued, “and if I achieve my dreams in track then one day I may return. But for now it is just track."

14 wins in 15 races in 2006

Carter, who also claimed the NCAA indoor 400 metre title in March, won all but one contest in his 15 finals indoors and outdoors this year. He suffered his only loss at the NCAA indoor championships, where he finished second (20.30) to Walter Dix (20.27). With his four wins in Sacramento, the Melbourne, Florida native equalled a feat last accomplished in 1936 by Jesse Owens.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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I saw this same artical in the Columbian this morning, and I almost crapped my pants.
Not only is it really hard to get started in Professional Track and field Unless you’re like,
uber spectacular,
but he chose around 300,000 dollars for his first year in proffesional track,
over probably a $4.5 Million contract, with a team like the new orleans saints,
who recently drafted reggie bush.
Oh well,
he’s already made up his mind,
so all we can do is hunker down,
and see how his career pans out.
He’ll probably be the most succesful in the
400m and the 4x400 Relay,
but I can’t see him competing with guys like Justin gatlin, and Asafa powell,
until a few years from now.
In my opinion,
he should of stayed in college another 2 years,
and dominated the Ncaa,
and then when his skills have developed more,
and he’s proven he can consistentley run the low 10’s,
and even possibley in the 9.9’s
then Nike, adidas and other endorsers of pro track, will be able see his full potential.
:rolleyes:

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He was offered a contract, according to most sources, worth well over $700k BEFORE NCAA finals, so I am pretty sure he’s making more than $300,000. He is also not even 1/10 the football player reggie bush is–no offense to him–but reggie bush is possibly the best running back in (and maybe player) in collegiate history. Xavier Carter is the 4th receiver or so as a junior at LSU.

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Has anyone else seen this? Sounds like he got a pretty good deal and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does in the upcoming month. Any guesses on how much he’s getting paid, considering they say his is the largest deal ever for a track athelete out of college?

From Track and Field News

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/displayArticle.jsp?id=10292

Nike signs Xavier “X-Man” Carter

(Johnson City, TN) July 28th — Total Sports Management is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with footwear maker NIKE for the services of Xavier Carter, also known as the X-Man.

Carter, the NCAA track and field athlete of the year in 2006, is one of the top college prospects to turn pro in many years. The deal is the most lucrative ever for a track and field athlete coming out of college and also ranks as one of the largest in the sport of track and field period. Terms of the contract will remain confidential but the contract will go through the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Just two weeks ago in Sacramento, CA the X-Man did what no athlete has done since Jesse Owens 70 years ago - win four events at the NCAA Championships. Carter ran nine races in all, including heats and finals, and three races in the final day which included the 100 meter victory in 10.09, the 400 meter victory in 44.53, and a leg on the victorious 4x400 meter relay. He was one of the most highly recruited athletes in the country out of Palm Bay High School in Florida and signed a football scholarship with LSU. Carter’s training for the 2006 track and field season only began after the football season ended in January.

In his first 100 meter race in two years the X-Man opened the outdoor season with a time of 10.12. In addition, he has not lost a 400 meter race since his freshman year of high school. At the moment, his personal bests stand at 10.09 (100 meters), 20.02 (200 meters), and 44.53 (400 meters).

His rationale for coming out of college and giving up football is to better prepare for his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. He plans to make his professional debut July 6th in Luzerne, Switzerland in the 100 meters and will also compete in the Athletisme Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland over 200 meters on July 11th. He’ll compete in the 400 meters at the Golden Gala in Rome, Italy on July 14th.

Total Sports Management Inc. is full-service athlete management company that currently represents over 40 of the worlds top track and field athletes from 12 different nations including Olympic and World Champions.

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he’d be the slot man or the 2nd guy if he came back probably a big slot reciver and kick returner. 9 catches in 2 years. he’s not NFL matrial as number 1 guy. I can see him as a big second reciver and kick returner like alvis whitted when he came into the NFL(just run by people like whitted did, whitted was 7th in the 200 at '96 olympic trials as a collage senior and 16 time all acc in track) but he’s never gonna be a number 1 wideout for any NFL team.

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sign your a badass.

also total sports management or w/e in JOHNSON CITY, Tennesse, thats in the middle of no where, as long as they do the job but i think X-Man could of picked a better represenative.