NORFOLK, VA (WWBT)- All Juwan Carter really wants to do is win, and it's been awhile since Norfolk State football could boast about a winning season. 2011 was the last time the Spartans finished above the .500 mark, but the senior quarterback hopes to lead them back to that status once again to cap off his career.
Win or lose, Carter is sprinting towards ending his time in the green and yellow atop the record books in a handful of passing categories.
Following Saturday's lopsided victory over Elizabeth City State, the senior quarterback finds himself about 1,300 yards shy of the program's all-time passing yards mark. He's been closing in on Aaron Sparrow's mark of 8,758 passing yards.
"I'm not really chasing it," Carter said on Tuesday. "It's going to be lovely to break the record, but as far as chasing it, I just want to win."
"Eight-ball in the corner pocket is what I refer to him as," said Spartans' head coach Dawson Odums (Carter's jersey number is 8). "He does an outstanding job."
The senior signal caller added another mark to his name on Saturday, passing for five touchdowns to tie the program's single-game top mark. Carter is also approaching the all-time completion and pass attempt top spots and looks likely to break them, seeing as how he has eight games remaining.
"It would mean a lot because I've been here for a long time, so why not go out with a bang and leave an imprint in school history?," he pointed out.
"Just to see the growth," added Odums. "You hear stories about him when you get here, but I actually get a chance to see the growth taking place."
Carter is driven by winning, but his biggest motivation comes off the field. The senior is a new father and recently saw his three-month old daughter, Ju'Mi, attend a game for the first time.
"It just fills me with excitement," he smiled. "My first time seeing her in the stands for her first game, she had the little headphones on and they were so big covering up her little head. I just always look and laugh."
Someday, when Ju'Mi is old enough to understand, she'll see her dad etched in Spartans history, part of a journey that gave Carter plenty of lessons to pass on.
"I'll tell her to finish school," he said. "It's been a rough ride. I've been here five, six years. I'll just tell her to finish and don't quit."
Carter and the Spartans travel to St. Francis (PA) on Saturday, looking to even up their record at 2-2. Kickoff is set for noon.
