Everyone who knows anything about college football — or watches USA Network on the weekend — knows the story of Rudy Ruettiger, the too short, too small Notre Dame walk-on whose real life reads like a Hallmark movie. It is the classic story of overcoming tremendous odds to achieve your dreams. It's a nice story, but it doesn't hold a candle to Jayson Carter.
Carter was born with a genetic disorder that stunted his growth. At 4-foot-9 and 130 lbs., Carter ran for 1,233 yards and 18 touchdowns in high school at KIPP in Houston — where he was also valedictorian.
During Carter's freshman year at the prestigious Rice University, he decided to walk onto the football team. Despite his size, he earned a spot on the scout team.
In the fourth quarter of a blowout victory over UTEP, Carter got the handoff on a read option play. Carter gained one yard on the carry, or as Carter said to the Houston Chronicle, "I did what I was supposed to … I didn't get negative yards."
"I want to be the guy that leads the way," he told The Houston Chronicle. "The guy that stands up when everybody has their heads down. The guy that is telling everyone to push harder when they are giving it all they've got. The guy everyone can count on. That's my dream."
As a redshirt sophomore, the odds are Carter will be getting a plenty more of these carries over the course of the next couple years. In fact, by the time he's finished at Rice, Carter's rushes may be so common that it'll no longer be a story — which is the most inspiring way this story could end.