Just Wait – Stephen Carr Aims To 'Get To The Point'

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In the end, for Stephen Carr, it was a no-brainer.

The Indiana lure was too strong, the potential to impressive. This California guy chose to become a Hoosier after a four-year run at USC, and given his 5-star running back pedigree, imagine the possibilities.

Carr does.

"I can't wait to see the end result of these next five months," he says via Zoom opportunity. "Take it day by day, stack my coins little by little as much as I can. Improve one percent every day."

If that strikes you as cliché, you're missing the point, which is Carr wants to win, develop to his full potential, and be part of something special.

"Indiana was great," he says. "I watched some of their games from last season. It was hard not to pick this school."

Head coach Tom Allen and his staff push a Love Each Other approach that has produced a 14-7 record with two bowl appearances in the last two seasons.

It didn't hurt that IU added Deland McCullough as associate head coach and running backs coach. McCullough coached Carr for a season when both were at USC.

"It's all about the statements that they made," Carr says. "It's not like they were giving me the same old rinky-dink recruiting stuff, normal catchphrases other staffs use. They were more straight to the point. This is how they run their program. This is the simple type of codes they live by. That's what stuck to me the most. Simple is effective."

Carr wasn't the only one buying in. IU has loaded up on difference-making transfers. Besides Carr, there's defensive lineman Jaren Hardy (from Auburn), defensive lineman Ryder Anderson (Ole Miss), wide receiver D.J. Matthews Jr. (Florida State), offensive lineman Zach Carpenter (Michigan), wide receiver Camron Buckley (Texas A&M), and defensive lineman Weston Kramer (Northern Illinois).

"The transfers that came in" Carr says, "give credit to the recruiting staff. They did a swell job."

The 6-foot, 215-pound Carr was versatile enough at USC to rush for 1,329 yards (averaging 5.0 yards a carry) with 12 touchdowns, catch 57 passes for 421 yards and one TD, and return 15 kickoffs for 321 yards, a 21.4-yard average.

He joins a deep running back room that also includes veterans Sampson James, Tim Baldwin Jr., and David Ellis.

Ask Carr to describe his running style and he starts with, "Very elusive."

"But I can also run downhill. I have to make better decisions. That will take me to the next level. Stop thinking too much. Just get straight to the point. Get those dirty yards."

And if he does …

"I think I can provide a lot offensively," he says. "I have to put the work in like all the other guys and try to earn my spot. Hopefully everything plays out the way God wants it to."

That includes protecting the quarterback.

"Pass pro (protection) is the No. 1 thing a running back needs," Carr says. "If you can't pass block, it's hard to stay in the game. (Defenses will exploit) you every time. They'll find a way to break you.

"I have to protect the quarterback. The quarterback is king of the offense."

McCullough will demand that of all the running backs. Carr got a taste of that during their time together at USC in 2017.

"He was a great recruiter," Carr says. "We built a great connection at USC. As soon as I got there, he welcomed me. He made sure all the running backs welcomed me, and then we went straight to business."

It wasn't all work, he adds.

"We had our fun. There's only so much time for that, but the fun has to be there. That's what you need to make a great running back room, and a great team."

McCullough only coached Carr for his freshman season, which also happened to be his best, and it left a big impact.

"We had a great relationship," Carr says. "He's taught me a lot. Coming out of high school, I didn't know much about football. I would just get the ball and it worked out."

College requires more.

A lot more.

"My freshman year, he explained the whole blocking scheme, how to read holes, how to read the first-down defender," Carr says. "How to call out D-linemen as a 3-tech or a 4-tech. That's very important when it comes to communication.

"Then it's getting back to the sideline and talking with your coach."

Carr expects plenty of talks with McCullough in the months to come.

"We haven't watched much film yet. He's been out this week. I can't wait until he gets back and we can talk it out and watch some film."

Carr, California born and raised, always had USC on his mind. Given he was a 5-star prospect who, as a senior at Fontana's Summit High School, rushed for 2,123 yards and 31 touchdowns while earning All-America honors, Trojan coaches had him on their minds, as well

"USC was my dream school since I was a kid," he says. "As soon as I got the offer, I committed.

"I loved visiting other schools. It was amazing, but USC had my heart since I was a young kid."

The 5-star accolades didn't go to his head.

"I don't pay any attention to the stars. I appreciate all the recruiters who labeled me a 5-star. I was delighted to be a 5-star, but it didn't register in my mind much because, at the end of the day when you're on that field, stars don't matter. Are you going to play or not?"

Carr most certainly did play right away.

Stanford, for instance, wanted no part of him that first season. He burned the No. 14 Cardinal for 119 yards on 11 carries in a regular-season victory, then added 42 yards on seven carries in a win over Stanford in the Pac-12 title game.

That season he finished with 363 rushing yards and three touchdowns, added 17 catches for 188 yards, and returned three kickoffs for a 21.3-yard average. He earned all-Pac-12 honorable-mention status.

Injuries (torn plantar fascia, sprained ankle, herniated disc, hamstring) limited him the next three seasons. He never ran for more than 87 yards in a game during that stretch.

Granted a final year of college eligibility because of the pandemic, Carr decided it was time to move on.

"It was tough to leave," he says. "I've had some of my greatest moments there. I grew up around that school. I gained the majority of my knowledge from USC and I expect USC to be at the highest level.

"But being away from family my friends, this gives me a great opportunity to focus on myself and learn a lot about myself. It will let me determine if I want it that bad, which I know I do."

Carr wants to tap into the promise he showed as a USC freshman, and take it to a game-altering conclusion.

"There are things that you always have to fix," he says. "Nobody is perfect. I want to take what I did in Pop Warner and high school and college, improve that and tune into it this season."

Carr insists he's at full health and ready to go.

"I'm 100 percent. I can't wait to be fully prepared to play this season. I will stay in the training room as much as I can. I feel every athlete should whether you've had no injuries or the most injuries. It's very important that you stretch, ice, and do those other things you need to do."

Even as a new Hoosier, Carr will have leadership responsibility, but he's taking that slowly.

"I haven't been here a week. I'm trying to get a feel for everybody. Letting everything flow. Get a feel for the guys. They have welcomed me. That's all I could ask for."

Indiana University Athletics

Just Wait – Stephen Carr Aims To 'Get To The Point'

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Players Mentioned

Ryder Anderson

Tim Baldwin Jr.

Camron Buckley

Zach Carpenter

Stephen Carr

David Ellis

Weston Kramer

D.J. Matthews Jr.

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