Andre Carter NFL draft: President Biden makes way for Army linebacker to fulfill NFL dreams
HOUSTON - NFL prospect, Andre Carter, won't have to wait years to fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL thanks to President Joe Biden.
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Carter, an outside linebacker from Army, is set to become the third player from Army since 1967 to get drafted when he is selected in the 2023 NFL draft.
"It definitely still hasn’t hit me yet that I’m going to have the opportunity to play in the NFL next season. I’ve been working my whole life for it", Carter says. "I’m really honored to be in this position…and having the opportunity to get drafted is something I always wanted to do".
The NFL future of the linebacker from Missouri City, Texas was in question after the loophole, created by former president Donald Trump in 2019, that allowed a direct route from service academies to professional football closed this year.
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The 2023 Defense Authorization Act bill only allows service academy graduates to accept professional sports contracts two years after graduation.
Players have the option to transfer freely following their Sophomore year without having to fulfill those service obligations, but Carter decided to stay and finish his college career at Army even though he was projected to be drafted into the NFL.
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In December, President Biden signed off on legislation allowing Carter to play in the NFL and then later serve his country.
"It gave me such an appreciation for our government. The fact is they do care. They didn’t have to do anything," Carter's mother Melissa says.
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Carter was not selected on Day 1 in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft but is expected to be taken in second or third round on Day 2 of the draft.