Barrett Carter

Linebacker, Clemson

You moved to defense as a sophomore in high school and were said to have hated it. What did you hate about it and are you grateful now that they made that move?

"That was the end of my freshman year in high school. I'd grown up playing receiver and running back my whole life and they moved me to linebacker. I was super mad about it. I'm from Chicago and I wanted to be the next Devin Hester, or something like that. They moved me to defense and I was pissed. I wanted to quit football but the very next day I got my first scholarship offer, so God works in mysterious ways. I've grown to love defense and I wouldn't want to play any other side of the ball. I wouldn't want to play any other position."

Playing against South Carolina, is there any familiarity with the Bengals second-round pick, Demetrius Knight Jr.?

"Yeah. I met him at the combine. He put a lot of good stuff on film and I'm excited to get to work with him. We'll feed off each other, and the other guys in the room. He's a dawg and I'm excited to get to work with him."

What is your comfort level with special teams and how much of that have you done?

"I've been playing on special teams my whole career. My freshman year, I came in and played on every special team. Going into my junior year, they started to take me off, but I was on plenty of kickoffs. I'm very familiar with special teams. It's a key component of the game. I know that any special teams play can impact the trajectory of a game. I'm excited to get on the field in any way, shape or form. I just want to get out there and make plays."

Defensive coordinator Al Golden spoke about your interview at the Combine. He described it as authentic and that you didn't sound coached. How did you approach those one-on-one meetings?

"I walked in my interviews and just wanted to be myself. I didn't want to put up a front of anything, trying to be something that I'm not. God gave me my DNA, my fingerprint. No one else has the same fingerprint, and I stand by that and live by that. I walk into every single room just being myself, confident, humble. That's what I try to be in every single interview. I'm glad I made a good impression."

What made you an effective team captain?

"I would say the number one thing is I lead with love. I don't care what your role is, or who you are — a walk-on that never touches the field. I approach you the same, I think that authenticity, that genuine love and care, is why I was voted team captain."

When you look at the Bengals, what's the first thing that stands out?

"Logan Wilson just texted me. I'm excited to get in there and learn from him. I'm excited to team up with a guy like that and pick his brain, see what he does on a day-to-day basis."

Have you met Tee Higgins?

"Yes I have. We have the same agent. I met him before and he's a great dude. I'm excited to team up with him. Also, DJ Turner II, we went to the same high school, so I teamed up with him and Myles Murphy (in college)."