By Lachlan Mitchell
Dandenong’s very own Elvis Carter will be hoping to make waves when he makes his way to Missouri Valley College to pursue his dream of becoming the next NFL star.
The 20-year-old Carter, who stands at just over 200cm, is an offensive lineman and a left tackle.
The star has always been bigger than the rest of his counter-parts and was approached to play gridiron by the president of the Monash Warriors.
“I got offered to play gridiron by Monash Warriors president Alan Dew when I was 17 and loved the game ever since then,” Carter said.
“I got chucked straight into the deep end with the Warriors in division one against the best team in the state.
“We played really well in my first game and we went 13-2 for the season, which was really good in a very competitive competition.
“But unfortunately we lost the grand-final.
“But the learning experience for me in the team and getting a taste of the game was the most important thing for me.”
Elvis has found his passion and love for the game by following former Australian NFL pioneer Jesse Williams.
The defensive tackle was the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring, when he helped the Seattle Seahawks to the championship in 2013.
“I met (Jesse) Williams when I was playing for Victoria, he is one of the big idols for me and I love everything that he has done,” Carter explained.
The path to the big-time gets a lot more real for Carter when he makes his way over to the United States.
“I will be in the program for four years and then hopefully make my way to a tier-one college to then find the pathway to the NFL,” he said.
“The dream is to be drafted by a division one college side like Alabama were Jesse Williams went and then, hopefully be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams.”
Elvis has been involved in a rigorous training routine to ensure he is fit and firing when his time comes.
“I’ve been training five to six times a week as well as working full-time because I need to be ready for the strength and conditioning that will be involved when I get to Missouri.”
Elvis makes his way out to the United States in early August.
