There's been no shortage of high profile football players who have moved on from the college ranks to the NFL but every now and then there is that special person who not only excels on the field of competition but also on the stage of life. Former Oklahoma safety Quinton Carter certainly fits into that later category.
A Jim Thorpe Award candidate and All-Conference safety at Oklahoma from 2006-2010. During that time he recorded 221 tackles and eight interceptions along with some bone-jarring hits.
Off the field Carter was awarded as a member of the Allstate Good Works Team in 2010 for his community service efforts. Only eleven players nationally were named to the Good Works Team and Carter's work in the community went well beyond sponsoring a 4-year-old class at the local KinderCare and mentoring teenagers.
"If anyone even says ‘Mr. Q' they get so excited it's hard to keep them calmed down," said the teacher of the KinderCare class where Carter volunteered his time. "When he comes to class, as soon as he walks into the door, they run right to him."
While still in school at Oklahoma, Carter started the SOUL Organization. Last year, Carter's senior year, SOUL fed 400 students who didn't get to travel home for Thanksgiving. The menu included salad, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and assorted pies for dessert.
Carter's SOUL Organization is making an impact in the Norman and Oklahoma City areas as well as in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada with hopes of expanding around the United States. The organization has developed the the Gaining Ground mentoring program for at-risk students and also sponsors activities and events for impoverished families ranging from Dad's Day out to providing gift cards for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
To learn more about Quinton Carter's SOUL Organization click here. To see the rest of the Buick Human Highlight Reel, go to www.NCAA.com/Buick.