Missouri monster has turned his athletic talents into Ivy League-type success, with the same determination in the classroom.
Video: Senior season highlights
See Jordan Carey in action on the gridiron.Jordan Carey earned a couple early-season starts on the
Hazelwood Central (Florissant, Mo.) ninth-grade football team before he started to turn some heads.
Jordan Carey in action for Hazelwood Central.
Photo courtesy of Jason Schoenig, Dirt and Turf Photography
He was quickly moved up to the junior varsity squad, but the inside linebacker only lasted at that level for a few games. Carey was promptly called up to varsity and thrown into the starting lineup.
"There was just something about him," Hazelwood Central varsity head football coach Van Vanatta said. "He had a spark, just kind of a different gear that most freshmen don't have. He's just a very intellectual player. I noticed him from the first freshman game right away saying, ‘That's a kid we're going to have to make a move on pretty quick.' He just had a different speed. It was pretty impressive."
Jumping from freshman to varsity games and taking on players who are three years older was quite a wake-up call for Carey.
"It was definitely an experience," Carey said with a laugh. "It was pretty much faster from freshman to JV and then varsity was faster. The guys were great, they really took me in and taught me everything. It was a smooth transition, to be honest."
"He never missed a beat," Vanatta said. "When he wants something, he would go after it. He understood he had to work for it."
Carey started the final half of his freshman campaign and helped the team advance all the way to the Missouri Class 6 state semifinals. He was even assigned to make the checks on the defense. That's a lot of trust in a 15-year-old.
"Just communicate and make sure everyone's on the same page," Carey said. "That's why I feel like I ended up starting, because I communicated a lot and it really helped the defense jell better."
Carey, who is 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, never relinquished his position in the lineup for four seasons and recently wrapped up his career. He had a phenomenal four years for the Hawks, amassing 339 tackles in 43 starts. He was a leader all four years on the field. As a sophomore and one of the only returning defensive starters from the previous season, he was named a captain. He also held that rank as a junior and senior.
"I was pretty surprised when coach named me one of the captains," Carey said. "I was like, ‘What? I'm only a sophomore.' All my teammates, they respected it, so that was pretty cool."
Jordan Carey
Courtesy photo
Away from sports, Carey is a model student. The 18-year-old holds a 4.2 GPA and is ranked No. 4 in his class of around 650 students.
"He's a humble kid," Vanatta said. "He wasn't a kid that just went around school trying to be cool. Jordan just went to class, left class and just did what he needed to do."
Carey is the senior class president, a two-year member of the National Honor Society and registered a 31 on the ACT.
Carey is an integral member in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He's a huddle leader for the group that meets a couple times per month. Carey and other student-athletes talk about using their religion to guide them in sports.
"For the most part, it keeps me humble," Carey said.
He has also been involved in Youth in Government. Annually, the group writes up a proposed bill, heads to the state capitol, presents a mock legislation and attempts to get the bill passed.
Carey notes being a four-year starter on the football team is a big reason he has done so well in the classroom.
"It's always made me the best I can be," Carey said. "I felt like I did a great job translating off the field. I always want to be the best that I can in the classroom, just as a person in general."
When Carey started making a name for himself as a football player during his sophomore year, colleges took notice. Combined with his book smarts, some top-notch academic institutions began knocking on his door. He had four offers from Ivy League schools – Yale, Harvard, Columbia and Pennsylvania – as well as Colgate.
Carey committed to Yale in late July and plans to sign his National Letter of Intent in February to play football for the Bulldogs.
Jordan Carey
Courtesy photo
"As a football player, they're going to get a heck of a kid," Vanatta said. "I don't know what they're going to do with him defensively, that's on them. But they're going to get a kid that's going to give full effort. He ain't going to leave anything out on the field. Same thing in the classroom – he ain't going to leave anything in the classroom. He's never been in trouble, so I definitely think he's going to represent them in a good way."
Carey is excited to head to Yale and help turn around a rebuilding program. He can't wait to be part of one of the biggest rivalries in college football: Yale vs. Harvard.
One reason Carey chose Yale was the camaraderie shared by the players on the football team.
"You can tell they're like a real family on the football team," Carey said. "Everybody's real close to everybody, and I always like that."
Yale coaches have told Carey he has a good shot at playing right away as a freshman since both inside linebackers were seniors this past year. It will be a dream come true for Carey to compete in college.
"I definitely wanted to play at the next level, but I couldn't see myself playing in the Ivy League until they started recruiting me," Carey said. "I really didn't think it was a possibility for me."
It seems like anything can become a reality for Carey if he puts his mind to it.
