Quick Facts
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Shyheim Carter (born December 15, 1997) is an American football defensive back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has also been a member of the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.
Early life and high school
Carter was born on December 15, 1997, in Kentwood, Louisiana. He attended Kentwood High School and played quarterback and cornerback; he was ranked a four-star recruit and was considered one of the top prospects in the state. He was first-team all-state as both a junior and senior and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. He was also the Class 1A Offensive MVP in his last two years and led Kentwood to a state championships in 2015 after having thrown for 2,443 yards, ran for 1,648 yards, and intercepted five passes. Carter was ranked by ESPN as the 40th-best player nationally, the 6th-best cornerback and 4th-best player in the state. He committed to play college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, de-committed, and then committed to the school again.
College career
As a true freshman at Alabama in 2016, Carter appeared in nine games and posted seven tackles. He later noted that when he first arrived, he thought he would never be able to learn the playbook, but by his senior year, he had become known as one of the most knowledgeable players on the team. In Carter's sophomore year, he played all 14 games and posted seven tackles with a pass breakup. Carter became a starter for the first time in the 2019 season. That year, he totaled 44 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions returned for touchdowns. In his senior year, 2019, Carter recorded 43 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, seven pass breakups and an interception. He finished his tenure at Alabama having appeared in 50 games, 23 as a starter at the STAR nickelback position, and recorded 101 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, 21 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 29+5⁄8 in (0.75 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | |||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
New York Jets
After going unselected in the 2020 NFL Draft, Carter was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent, being given a contract that included $72,000 guaranteed, the second-highest among the team's undrafted signings. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on July 28, and was activated on August 15. He was waived on September 5, 2020.
Atlanta Falcons
On October 20, 2020, Carter was signed to the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons. He was waived on December 8, 2020.
Houston Texans
On May 17, 2021, Carter was signed to the Houston Texans after a minicamp tryout. He was waived on August 31 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was waived on October 12, 2021.
Tennessee Titans
On December 30, 2021, Carter was signed to the Tennessee Titans practice squad. He was waived on January 4, 2022. On January 25, 2022, he was signed to a reserve/future contract. He was waived on August 22, 2022. On October 4, 2022, he rejoined the team as a member of the practice squad. He was waived on November 15, 2022. He was re-signed to the team's practice squad on January 3, 2023. Carter signed a reserve/future contract with the Titans seven days later.
Carter was released at the final roster cuts, on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day. He was elevated to the active roster for the Titans' Week 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals and made his debut in the win, appearing on 22 combined snaps while posting a tackle. He was signed to the active roster on October 14. He was waived on October 28 and re-signed to the practice squad three days later.
Coaching career
Prior to being signed by the Texans in 2021, Carter worked as a graduate assistant for Alabama.