Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Carriger moves on to big things

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Thursday, February 8, 2001

Carriger moves on to big things
S-T star becomes talk of town after signing letter with Aggies
By Lee Goddard
Caller-Times

David Pellerin/Caller-Times

S-T standout Thomas Carriger continues the tradition of small-town athletes to play major college football, like Rockport-Fulton’s Dat Nguyen (top).

SKIDMORE - With every opportunity to grow an inflated ego, become full of himself or discard the pace of small-town life, Thomas Carriger has remained steady.
   Despite signing Wednesday to play football at Texas A&M, it should still be easy to spot Carriger about the town of Skidmore, doing the same things he has for the past four years at Skidmore-Tynan High School.
   "He doesn't get the big-head approach," S-T coach Guy Grover said. "He still wrestles with the junior high kids, and the elementary school kids like to come up and talk to him because (all the schools) are attached here. That's just how it is here."
   Even though he'll be playing big-time college football, Carriger, a defensive lineman, seems a perfect fit in this small-town atmosphere.
   There will still be the occasional hog hunt where Carriger will unleash the dogs and, armed with only a knife, take on the prey.
   And, as is the case almost every lunchtime, expect Carriger to cross the street from the high school, and settle in for a meal at the Chisholm Trail Cafe.
   "He's just a nice kid and he enjoys life," said Joyce Hatcher, a waitress at the Chisholm Trail. "He likes to joke around a lot. A lot of time, he likes to pick on me. And he loves his pecan pie."
   He loves the Aggies, too. Even though it seemed a longshot at one point that Carriger would head to Texas A&M on a football scholarship.
   Twist of fate
   Attracting virtually no attention from major colleges, Carriger's life took a twist last summer. Aggies assistant coach Alan Weddell ventured to Skidmore on word-of-mouth advice from opposing high school coaches. There, Weddell extended an invitation for Carriger, a longtime A&M fan, to attend the Aggies' summer football camp.
   Given the chance to go toe-to-toe with blue-chip recruits and higher-classification players, Carriger struck a blow for the small schools. At 6-5, 265, he more than held his own against highly regarded competition, and impressed by running a 4.7 40-yard dash at the camp.
   "I felt good about how I played," Carriger said. "It was a good level of competition, and they were bigger players."
   From the beginning of the camp to the end, Carriger was transformed from small-town standout to coveted recruit.
   "He's certainly a guy that came from left field," Lone Star Recruiting's Geoff Ketchum said. "Basically, he came from out of the bleachers. He really made that impression at the summer camp. They got to see him in person, side-by-side against players from larger classes and bigger football hotbeds. Then it was easy for them to decide Thomas was someone they wanted in the program."
   It was an easy choice for A&M head coach R.C. Slocum, who marveled at Carriger's potential at the camp.
   "Thomas is one of those players not found on many recruiting lists," Slocum said Wednesday. "He was in our camp and we really liked him."
   Those assets were for Slocum and the Aggies to offer him a scholarship in August, before Carriger even paid an official visit to College Station. Carriger hesitated briefly - not because he didn't want to go to A&M, but because he was stunned by the offer.
   "I was surprised," said Carriger. "I went silent. I was just so happy. I didn't know what to say. "
   Carriger said yes to A&M that day, and - literally - became the talk of the town.
   "It's a very big thing in this town," Hatcher said. "It's very important. He's a very popular kid."
   Small-town heroes
   As was Dat Nguyen in Rockport and Fulton. Of course, some comparison between Nguyen and Carriger could be invited. There are the differences - Nguyen played linebacker, Carriger will almost assuredly play defensive line. Nguyen had a wide variety of major college suitors; Carriger had the Aggies alone.
   But the similarities also are there. The obvious being they both come from small towns in South Texas.
   And, as was the case with Nguyen and Fulton and Rockport, Carriger has a chance to place Skidmore and Tynan in most of the country's living rooms on Saturday afternoons.
   Diane Probst, the president/CEO of the Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce, can fondly recall when Nguyen's play drove up the recognition of the Gulfside towns.
   "There was a little more recognition with every tackle he made," Probst said. "It was always, 'Dat Nguyen, No. 9, Rockport-Fulton High School.' So many mentions on TV and 70,000 people in the stands hearing that every play. We think it had an impact here."
   Finding a spotlight
   There are the differences between the types of towns, though. While Fulton, population of 763 in the 1990 census, and Rockport (4,753) are nestled along Gulf beaches, Skidmore (800) and Tynan (200) are tucked away in the interior of the state.
   While not blink-and-you'll-miss-it small, it is a quick drive on Route 181 from one side of Skidmore to the other. There is no town hall, but rather a justice of the peace off the main road.
   Nearly all the town's businesses are located on 181, with the most prominent place in town being the cluster of elementary, junior high and high school buildings dead-center in town.
   It was here, out back on the football field, that Carriger grabbed the spotlight. He could have let down after committing to A&M. He could have rested on his reputation, but he chose not to.
   Instead, Carriger went full tilt, practicing as aggressively as he would play on Friday nights. It was an eye-opening experience for the younger players to see a freshly committed Carriger in action.
   Freshman Ross Sager was promoted from junior varsity to varsity at the end of the season, and witnessed Carriger wrecking people all over the field.
   "Luckily, I didn't go against him," said Sager, a 6-4, 215-pound lineman. "But I did see him go head-to-head with some of the bigger guys, and you feel fortunate it wasn't you having to do it. It was fun to watch him matched against smaller guys and lay them out. He'd lay out the big guys, too."
   Leading by example
   The same would happen on Friday nights. Carriger harmed teams in every conceivable way. He was the long-snapper on the punt team. Carriger was the placekicker - he nailed a 39-yard field goal against Freer - and lined up at tight end. But he did most of his damage at defensive end.
   In leading the Bobcats to their first playoff appearance since 1988, Carriger recorded 70 tackles, four sacks and recovered three fumbles.
   Even with a spectacular senior season and the commitment to A&M, Carriger still didn't appear on a lot of top recruiting lists.
   "He's the kind of guy who is still not very highly rated," Ketchum said. "He didn't grab all-American honors. He'll be one of those guys that won't be talked about as best in class. But all the people out there are rooting for him to make the big-time. Even those like us, who didn't have him highly-rated, want to see that happen."
   Of course, Slocum wants that to happen, thinking he has found an unsung recruit.
   "He has good size and is quick and very strong," Slocum said. "Thomas has a bright future at defensive end for the Aggies."
   Just how far in the future may be the question. Of the top four defensive ends on the A&M depth chart this past season, only one - Ronald Flemons - was a senior. This fall, Carriger's competition will be with a sophomore, a junior and a senior, as well as fellow recruits Lawrence Hooper (Aldine High), Johnny Jolly (Houston Forest Brook) and Donny Stringer (Garland Naaman Forest).
   Grover believes Carriger can eventually emerge from the pack. With some touchups at A&M, he feels Carriger could become an overpowering player.
   "There are a lot of untapped areas that he can improve in once he goes up in competition into survival-type mode," Grover said. "He still doesn't know how good he can be. His natural strength is amazing and, when they get him up there, they'll just feed him every day and stick him in the weight room.
   "To me, it's a win-win situation for A&M because they're getting a great kid," he said. "He's going to do everything they ask. I don't think they could lose."
   Maybe more importantly, Skidmore-Tynan can't lose.
   Carriger will be watched by the town's residents, and provide inspiration for younger players. As, according to Grover, the seventh grade this year at Skidmore-Tynan had 17 boys in the whole class.
   So, even while at A&M, Carriger can influence athletes in Skidmore and Tynan.
   "It shows you can overcome being from a small school and make it to a big college," Sager said. "It makes you feel like it can be done."


Staff writer Lee Goddard can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at goddardl@caller.com

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