After weeks of rule violations, internal issues, and questions surrounding an alleged injury, Tennessee officially cut ties with defensive back Boo Carter on November 16. But on game day, his absence from the sideline immediately raised doubts about the legitimacy of his reported hip flexor injury. And when the head coach’s pointed postgame comments added even more fuel to these ongoing speculations, Carter’s mother stepped in to address the rumors.
Multiple reports noted that despite practicing all week and not appearing in SEC availability reports, Carter didn’t play. When asked, Josh Heupel brushed off the speculation, saying, “At the end of the day, there’s a standard that you have to meet to be in that locker room. So, he was not out on the field with us. That will be my last response to anything related to that for right now.” But Carter’s mother, Shareca Carter, wasn’t about to let that narrative stand uncontested.
She fired back by posting his medical records on Facebook, including MRI images, along with Instagram messages shutting down every rumor. She even put up a bold caption that reads, “I hope your new home/teammates welcomes you with open arms and you continue to grow and be a great teammate. WE KNOW YOU ARE!!”
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Yet reports from ESPN’s Mark Schlabach tell a different story. “The source told ESPN that Carter had been informed by the coaching staff that he wasn’t going to play against the Aggies because of disciplinary issues. But the coaches still expected Carter to attend the homecoming game and watch from the sideline,” he said.
Boo Carter’s path has been anything but turbulent with Tennessee. After entering the season earning SEC All-Freshman honors and being named a preseason All-SEC selection last season, his intent became a problem. His issues with the team go back to the offseason, when he missed several team activities and was even called out by team leaders. Because of this, he stepped away from the program in July. And when he came back, Josh Heupel made it clear that Carter needs to handle some things before rejoining.
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During the first four preseason practices, Carter was separated from his team and was working out alone on the sidelines or inside the facility while his teammates were practicing outdoors. So in order to make his way back to the team, he reinstated and completed a community visit at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. After which, he came in for full team drills on Aug 5, but never regained his starting nickelback position. Interestingly, before this weekend, too, Tennessee was viewing him as a likely transfer-portal candidate.
Now, after the split Boo Carter makes his stance clear on his future move.
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Boo Carter gets real on his future plans
After spending two years with Tennessee, Boo Carter finally parted ways with the team. But he made sure he gave Vols the credit they needed on his tweet and even talked about his future plans. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the University of Tennessee coaches, administrators, and fans for a wonderful 2 years,” Carter said. “Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal, and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!”
But with all the missed games, despite playing in a rotational defensive role and handling primary punt return duties, his production fell to 25 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, and 145 punt-return yards. Then his poor effort on TD allowed against Kentucky following limited snaps and missed return opportunity against Oklahoma, just made matters worse.
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It’s yet to be known if the real deal behind Carter’s exit is his medical issue or his behavior with the team. But till then, let’s wait and see which team becomes his next destination.
Tennessee DB Boo Carter’s Mother Targets Josh Heupel Making Medical Records Public
