I am returning to my series on the Gold Bombers today with a profile on Carter Josephs, after doing ones on Nate Watkins and AJ Astroth already. Carter is the glue that keeps the Gold Bombers together. The Bombers have a unique set of personalities from the outgoing, boisterous Eric McClellan to the sarcastic, witty Nate Watkins, but Carter is a steadying influence on the squad. He is not judgmental in any way, gets along with everybody, and is a fantastic listener.
My first impression of Carter came when he visited campus last year with his dad. Carter came to practice twice, ate a team meal with us, and I still don't think he said a word on his visit. At least I didn't hear one come out of his mouth. His dad asked a lot of questions and was friendly but Carter was super quiet. I remember after he left, nobody had any idea what he thought of Vandy, and when he committed as a recruited walk-on later on in the year, some players' memories had to be triggered about who he was, but he has been a great addition to the team.
Carter is a sounding board for many guys on our team, not just the Gold Bombers. They can complain to Carter about class, playing time, other players, girls, or anything else and he will listen intently (or at least pretend to). He never interrupts or chimes in with his own opinion unless asked, which is refreshing for people on a team where everybody has an opinion on everything and they aren't afraid to share it. This is why Carter's roomate Sheldon Jeter has been known to start lengthy discussions on the meaning of life with Carter at 3 AM, because it is a good opportunity to get his thoughts out there without having them dissected.
Carter also is not a big fan of conflict so he seeks to avoid it at all costs. He doesn't like to rock the boat, he doesn't fluctuate much in his mood on a given day. He's very steady and consistent in his attitude and approach toward things.
He is also, as AJ Astroth pointed out, our most consistent practice player. A typical Carter day of practice includes one airballed three pointer toward the beginning during shooting drills, no more than 2 shots during practice, 3 to 4 assists, minimal turnovers, and a lot of steals and deflections. You know what you are going to get out of Carter every day and that is why the coaches and players like him because he works hard to make the other guys around him better. He knows his strengths and his limitations, and he plays to them. As Coach Stallings likes to say, "know the difference between what you can do and what you can't do" and Carter certainly does.
Carter is also a favorite of the managers because he always throws his laundry in on time, never loses anything, and most importantly is always willing to help us out. There are some players past and present who when asked to help carry something for instance or if we can put something next to them on a plane will ask why they have to do it and not someone else. I won't name names, but one of our players said earlier this year, "I don't why I have to carry something, you never would have made Jeff or the older guys last year do it. I shouldn't have to do it this year", that was an irritating and frustrating thing to hear.
Whereas Carter on the other hand, never says no to helping us out. He realizes we work hard and if we need help, he doesn't complain about having to do it. Other players who have a really good attitude toward helping us out are James Siakam and Nate Watkinsin particular. This kind of sums up Carter well though, he's always willing to lend a hand or listen if you want to talk. I'm glad Carter has evolved from his no-word recruiting visit cause it's been good getting to know him (and his friend Troy from home who came to visit and who is a really cool guy) this year.
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