During steamy Florida summers, a 2-year-old Carter accompanied his father to the practice field with a toddler-sized water jug, silently mimicking footwork drills until he was sent to the car for some well-deserved air conditioning.
“My dad taught me everything that I know,” Carter III said in a March interview. “Just watching him helped me be the man that I am today.”
As time went on, the father-son duo bonded over the intricacies of tackling mechanics, watching old Florida State film and the importance of hard work. Carter II coached several of his son’s teams but switched to a spectator when he reached high school, helping Carter III break out of his own last name’s shadow.
“I could see that he was kind of elite because once I retired from the NFL and stuff, I coached a few of his teams,” Carter said. “Whatever I needed, he could do it. Whatever position that I was hurting for, like, if I didn’t have a quarterback, I could put him at quarterback. Of course he played safety, but if we didn’t have a running back, I could put him at running back.”
In 2024, Carter II experienced a “breathtaking” moment, fueled by déjà vu and pride, when his son trotted out to play his first college football game for the Old Dominion Monarchs. In two seasons, the safety made 12 starts, notching 98 tackles.
As a sophomore, he had six interceptions, the second-most of any college football player.
With that success, Carter III entered the transfer portal three days before Christmas, and while holiday decorations were still intact, he and his father made the trip to visit Clemson.
“I just wanted my son to be in a good situation, the best fit for him,” Carter II said. “Of course, we were in agreement with Clemson; it gave me that Florida State vibe, so to speak, with the camaraderie and culture-wise and togetherness. I told him, ‘That’s a great stadium, a loud stadium.’”
Now, 23 years after his first win over Florida State as a wide receivers coach and 17 years after getting the head job, Swinney has passed Bobby Bowden for first place in total ACC victories (187), though Bowden still boasts three more conference championships.