Top NFL prospect Jalen Carter can rest somewhat easier now, having obtained some closure following charges of reckless driving and racing.
The former Georgia defensive tackle found himself in trouble with the law after helping the program win a second successive CFP Championship in January as he was involved in a car crash that claimed the lives of a teammate, as well as a member of team staff.
Carter turned himself in to authorities after a warrant was put out in his name earlier this month, cutting his time at the NFL Scouting Combine short, though he was able to return.
The 21-year-old has now reached a plea deal with Athens-Clarke County and will not be facing any jail time, according to his attorney, Kim T. Stephens, who disclosed that Carter will receive 12 months probation and pay a fine of $1,000 after pleading no contest (H/T Tom Pelissero).
Carter will also be required to complete a driving course and perform 80 hours of community service.
The statement, shown below, insists the player did not cause the crash and would have faced stiffer penalties had investigations determined as much. It also denies Carter left the scene of the accident without being told he could have and answered all of the questions posed to him by lawmen on that fateful night.
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“If there had been any suspicion that Mr. Carter had consumed alcohol or used an illegal substance when Athens-Clarke County police officers and investigators spoke to him at the scene, following the accident, they would have arrested him for DUI,” it reads.
“If the investigation had determined otherwise, Mr. Carter would have been charged with the far more serious offenses of vehicular homicide and serious injury by vehicle under Georgia law, both felony offenses, and would have faced a lengthy prison sentence.”
While the resolution must have come as a relief, Carter should be worried about his draft prospects as he gave a poor account of himself at Georgia’s Pro Day on Wednesday. It’s said that he was nine pounds heavier than he weighed at the Combine and struggled to breathe during drills, which he also did not complete. That comes on the back of not having done any workouts at the Combine.
