Jayson Carter lets heart make up for size

Of all the Rice tailbacks Jayson Carter could cozy up to in practice, junior Sam McGuffie just might be the wisest choice. McGuffie, after all, offers the requisite blend of speed and athleticism coaches seek in tailbacks. If Carter longs to make an impression beyond the fact that, at 4-foot-9, he technically qualifies for dwarfism, running post-practice sprints with McGuffie is the way to go. Of course, there is no getting around the fact that Carter is 4-foot-9 and 130 pounds. That's the prevailing narrative. Carter joined the squad of Owls coach David Bailiff last week as a walk-on. Despite his small stature, Bailiff views Carter as a potential practice contributor, someone capable of bolstering the scout team and giving the starters something that could benefit Rice on Saturdays. Carter isn't some novelty act; he enjoyed quite the career at Houston Kipp Academy. His prep statistics 1,200 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns at tailback, plus 92 tackles, 152 assists, three sacks and an interception at safety support that contention. Perhaps Carter can help on offense, defense and special teams. Regardless, Carter should provide aid. Whatever the challenge, Carter seems prepared. Tacking obstacles of significance size is nothing new. He's been doing it for quite awhile. "All of my life I went against guys that are at least 70 pounds heavier than I am," Carter told a local television station. "So it's nothing I'm not used to. When they see me they're like, Whoa, what's going on?' That gives me the upper hand." Of all the short players who have gained notoriety in Football Bowl Subdivision, Carter certainly ranks among the shortest. The odds are slim that Carter will actually see the field this season, but his presence provides inspiration. He is the embodiment of the spirit of competition, a representation of the persistence needed to overcome all limitations. "You just have to tip your hat to him for having that type of courage to come out here and want to give it his all and be a part of this football team," Bailiff said. Courage doesn't come in short supply for Carter pun fully intended. "If they ever come up with a device that measures the heart and put it on top of my head," Carter said, "they'll see I'm 6-9."