ROBERTSDALE – Going into his young program’s third year, Faulkner University head football coach Greg Baker knows he wants to recruit players with a combination of good athletic ability and even better character.

That’s why Baker came after Robertsdale running back Jamar Carter. Carter signed with the Eagles on Friday.

“I really liked Jamar as a person,” Baker said. “He is an outstanding young man with tremendous athletic ability. He has great tenacity, and he hustles on every play. He is just the kind of kid we are looking for.”

Carter was Robertsdale’s leading rusher in his senior season. His high school coach, Scott Phelps, said Faulkner is getting a tough, hard-working running back.

“I really like Jamar’s toughness,” Phelps said. “He was our main back and carried the ball over 100 times, and he just kept on getting after it. He never complained and always got right back up after he got hit. He is very tough and aggressive.”

The Faulkner program is going into its third season of football. The Eagles compete in NAIA against teams like Shorter, Kentucky Christian, Bellhaven, Weber-Lambuth, Bethel and West Virginia Tech. Baker said four of those teams finished in the NAIA top 25 last season.

Carter said that Friday’s signing was a proud moment for him.

“This is very important,” Carter said. “Only one other person in my family has gone to college.”

He credited his mother, Sharon, for inspiring him to work hard.

Carter carried the ball 140 times for 1,272 yards his senior season. He is considering studying criminal justice at Faulkner. Carter will report to Faulkner on August 1, where he will begin preparation for the Eagles’ first game on August 29.