There was already enough to notice about Gainesville’s new kicker before the crowd figured out who his father is.
On Saturday against defending national champion Buford, senior Dwayne Carter III made his debut for the Red Elephants and handled the moment just fine, drilling field goals of 35 and 25 yards in the first half. His second kick trimmed Gainesville’s deficit to 7-6, and for a while his leg helped keep the Red Elephants close before Buford pulled away for a 39-19 win.
By then, the game had the usual extras that come with a matchup like this: four- and five-star prospects, ESPN2 cameras, and a spotlight already pointed at the defending champs. Carter still found a way to stand out, even if it took a little while for the wider audience to realize why his name sounded familiar.
Then the internet connected the dots. Carter is the son of Lil Wayne, and once that detail hit, the video of his kicks started moving fast. One fan summed up the scene with, "Gainesville had Tha Carter III out there on special teams."
Carter transferred to Gainesville from North Atlanta and comes with a soccer background, which makes his kicking story look a little less like a novelty and a lot more like a player with a real path in football. He’s not just riding a famous name, either. He already has a Division I offer.
That offer comes from Colorado and Deion Sanders, which feels like a fitting match for a player suddenly getting a lot more attention. Sanders once told his team, “I’m bringing my luggage with me, and it's Louis."
Now that Carter’s name is out there, every routine field goal is going to travel farther than the ball itself. And after a debut like that, it’s safe to say the spotlight isn’t leaving Gainesville anytime soon.
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