Nate Carter has seen his Christian faith grow during his time at Michigan State. Through supporting his teammates during tough times to his preparation for the NFL Draft, Carter’s faith is a testament to who he is not only as an athlete but as a Christian man.
Carter, a native of Rochester, New York, started his collegiate career at UConn, playing two seasons before transferring to MSU in 2023. Carter said he wanted to grow at a school not only as a football player but as a Christian and MSU provided him with that opportunity.
“It was a huge green light that this was a place where God was calling me to be. I have taken a leap of faith and it’s worked out for me. During my last two years at Michigan State, what I’ve been able to accomplish and the connections that I’ve made, I knew it was a place where God wanted me to be,” said Carter.
Carter graduated in December with a degree in human development and family studies. If his career plan in the NFL doesn’t work out, he hopes to become a therapist and a counselor. He also plans to go into education to study more about Biblical counseling and Biblical therapy.
“I have a little bit of a set plan in my mind but God can completely turn it around. I don’t know what God has planned, I don’t know what the next 10 years will look like because I’m not guaranteed tomorrow,” Carter said.
When Carter first arrived in East Lansing, he was met with the expectations of being the next Kenneth Walker. Carter saw his faith being tested, as he felt pressure that challenged him as a player.
“I wasn’t playing for the glory of God, I was playing for the glory of the man of what can I do in this game or what can I do to set myself up so these guys would view me the way they view this Michigan State great. I found that it didn’t lead me to joy, it just led me to a lot of sorrow of trying to seek the approval of man and I wasn’t using sports to glorify God,” Carter said.
Carter’s first year in East Lansing featured a difficult time for the MSU football program with the suspension and then firing of former head football coach Mel Tucker. Carter and his teammates bonded together through Bible study during a time of turmoil surrounding the program.
“We leaned into how we as players come around each other. It was a time where we were able to be vulnerable with one another, it was a time where we were able to look at God’s word. It was an encouraging time for us and to seek God as players,” Carter said.
Carter rushed for 1,297 yards during his career at MSU. He was one of the five captains on MSU’s 2024 football roster.
Carter has benefited from NIL during his career at MSU. Last season, he received a sponsorship with Q-Collar, a football equipment company aiming to improve brain health. Carter created social media posts and commercials for the company.
But Carter has mixed feelings about NIL; he believes it is useful for athletes, but he doesn’t think the way collegiate programs have approached it has been correct.
“When you give a 17- to 18-year-old coming out of high school a whole lot of money that they’ve never seen, they’re not going to know what to do with it. We live in a materialistic world where everyone wants a new shoe, a shiny car, shiny jewelry, big chains, and all that stuff and they don’t understand the importance of building wealth and building stability and putting your finances as a place to help you down the road,” said Carter.
However, NIL has helped Carter to support people. He’s grateful for the ability that NIL has provided. He believes that NIL can be beneficial if used in the right way.
“It can be used wisely if you use it wisely. If you use it for your own selfish ambition then it can lead to your downfall,” said Carter.
Carter has used the NIL money that he has received to help his home churches. Alongside his wife Maddie, Carter also sponsors children in Africa through an organization called World Vision.
Since departing from MSU, Carter has trained at the XPE training facility in Fort Lauderdale in preparation for the NFL Draft. XPE has a rich history of developing players, which is one the main factors that led Carter to train there. Carter recently competed in MSU’s Pro Day on March 12.
“I wanted to go to a place where I felt not only met my needs, but I felt like I was going to get the necessary attention needed to work on my weaknesses and make those be strengths,” Carter said.
Pat Capra, the CEO of Legend Agency and is Carter’s agent as he prepares for the draft. Capra has been representing NFL Draft prospects for the last 20 years and said Carter is one of the finest players he’s represented.
“He’s an outstanding football player, I think he has a high ceiling. I’m excited for all of his athletic gifts. What truly makes Nate special is he’s a uniquely talented individual, from a personality standpoint he’s a leader in every way,” Capra said.
Capra’s job as an agent is not only to potentially help Carter with his NFL career, but to also help with his off-the-field work.
“It’s easy to work for a guy like Nate because he does all his part, but it’s also exciting to work for a guy like Nate because there’s so much white space outside of football whenever that ends that we’ll work on together,” said Capra.
Carter, with his future unknown, has learned over time through his faith to say yes to what God calls him to do. Whether it’s potentially playing in the NFL or a career as a therapist and a counselor, Carter trusts what is planned for him.
“It’s easy saying yes when you know what you’re saying yes to. That may not mean millions of dollars and that’s ok, that may not mean playing on Sundays. At the end of the day it’s never been about me, it’s always been about giving glory to god and helping others to come to know who Jesus Christ is,” Carter said.
“We’re going to continue to keep giving until we can’t give anymore. We both love giving, we both love being a blessing to others and it’s more to us a heart posture than the money that’s in our bank account.”