INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL Combine hours after he was booked and released on charges connected to a crash that killed a teammate and football staffer.
Sources confirmed to Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein that Carter arrived back in Indianapolis sometime Thursday morning. The defensive tackle traveled back to Athens late Wednesday to turn himself in on reckless driving and racing misdemeanor charges.
Athens-Clarke County Jail booked Carter at 11:33 p.m. and released him at 11:49 p.m. via “unsecured judicial release,” on the condition that he show up to his court date in April, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a statement released before he returned to Athens, Carter released a statement saying he “has no question” he will be exonerated.
“This morning I received a telephone call from the Athens Georgia police department informing me that two misdemeanor warrants have been issued against me for reckless driving and racing. Numerous media reports also have circulated this morning containing inaccurate information concerning the tragic events of January 15, 2023. It is my intention to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”
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Klein has learned that Carter will not be available to speak publicly at the combine, but he will interview with teams and complete his measurements for the scouts.
Carter is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, according to a handful of mock drafts already published by NFL draft experts.
Before the charges were announced, Carter was supposed to meet with teams on Wednesday at the combine. Several NFL league sources told Klein that one of those teams was the Atlanta Falcons, but one source said Carter pulled out of his visit.
Carter was also supposed to speak with the media at 10:30 a.m. but didn’t show up. At 11 a.m., an NFL communications executive came out and said Carter was getting medical attention and that he would not be speaking to media for the rest of the week.
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