Andre Carter II is considered the best football player to come out of Army in decades, a linebacker who has the talent to be a first-round draft pick. But it may be years before he can play in the NFL.
That’s because the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House last week and the Senate this week, changes the current policy that allows athletes from Army, Navy and Air Force to turn pro immediately, without having to serve in active duty first.
The bill, which President Biden could sign as soon as next week, states that an “agreement by a cadet or midshipman to play professional sport constitutes a breach of service obligation.”
Typically, service academy graduates have to serve five years in active duty, and that has happened before with professional athletes. Most notably, Roger Staubach spent five years serving in the Navy before beginning his Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. But in recent years, athletes from service academies have been given waivers to play professional sports immediately after graduation.
It’s unclear precisely how long Carter would have to serve before he could play in the NFL, but his mother, Melissa Carter, told ESPN that the family’s understanding is that Andre would have to serve two years and then could get a waiver to play, starting with the 2025 NFL season. Melissa Carter said her son wants to play in the NFL immediately.
“Here’s the thing that’s so painful,” Melissa Carter told ESPN. “You guide your son to do the right things because it’s right. And it’s really disappointing that it’s not reciprocated. This has been his goal since childhood, to go into the NFL. Every step of the way, that was on track, until we saw this article. That’s the part that’s disappointing. It’s not surprising to see so many people transfer, opt out or switch teams. When loyalty is not reciprocated, that stings.”
Andre Carter II has not spoken publicly about the matter.
