Sparkman’s Lindsey leads in football and academics

HARVEST – Senior defensive lineman Carter Lindsey is regarded as one of the strongest members of the Sparkman High football team holding the best lifts in the bench press and the squat during workouts in the Senator’s weight room. Among the 2025 squad, Lindsey is also regarded as the most intelligent with his work in the classroom as he carries a 4.375 grade point average thanks in part to his taking advanced college courses at the University of Alabama- Huntsville (UAH).

“While in elementary school, I didn’t know how advanced I was academically, but while at Monrovia Middle School I realized I was smart and I soon gained confidence on my academic ability, which led to my years in high school,” said Lindsey. “I’ve been asked if I thought school was easy and for the most part I haven’t struggled much except for my college courses.”

In his junior year, Lindsey enrolled into UAH taking both Calculus 1 and English 101. He chose to take the subjects in a classroom setting. “I don’t like virtual screen time so I wanted to take the courses at the school,” said Lindsey, as his math class was held 8:00-9:20 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday while his English class was held on the UAH campus 9:40-11:00 a.m. Monday and Wednesday. Most of his classmates were older than the teen from Harvest.

“One guy who sat next to me was 28 years old and had a child on the way,” added Lindsey, who did not attended any summer classes, nor has he registered for any additional classes at UAH as he said those classes require a hefty chuck of money and chose to wait until college. Next semester at Sparkman, Lindsey is set to taker AP Calculus II.

Lindsey is looking to attend Mississippi State where he wants to earn his degree in electrical engineering. Both his parents, Timothy Lindsey and Tatum Lundy, are engineers. His younger, 15-year old, brother, Tyler, is on the Sparkman golf team.

“Awesome student-athlete. Great leader all four years here at Sparkman,” said Senators’ head coach Ronnie Watson of Lindsey. “Carter is a guy that is first to respond when needed and last to leave. He’s one of those young men that will do what is asked without hesitation. That is very rare in today’s world with people, especially young ones. This guy has been asked to wear many hats in his four years and he wears them like a boss.”

For Watson, Lindsey played nose guard, linebacker and tight end/Sniffer positions in his first three seasons, but has now moved to the defensive line spot where Lindsey knows he’s doing well. “I don’t take plays off. I play hard every play. I feel I’m explosive every time and since moving to the DL position I’ve been successful. I usually dominate my opponents and many times face double team blocking,” added Lindsey, who stands 5-foot-9, and weighs in at 220-pounds.

His stout body frame has allowed him to be tops on the team in the bench press with 330-pounds and the squat at 545-pounds. He also lifts 245-pounds in the clean and jerk lift in the weight room. “Football has shaped my way of life,” added Lindsey. “I probably wouldn’t appreciate as much as I do without football which I didn’t begin to play until the ninth grade. Just being able to do with what I can do on the field and in the weight room means a lot to me.”

This seemingly one-of-a-kind student-athlete is also heavily involved in the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and with the church he’s been attending the last four years. As part of the Summer Leadership Program at Church of the Highlands, Lindsey attended Leadership classes and then took to small groups to assist children in their way through faith readings. Lindsey also attended Chapel Nights designed just for teens. “I love the Highlands Kids group activity as we have mentor-type duties for the kids where we play with them, pray with them and watch videos together.”

The hard-working Lindsey also handles weekend duties as a greeter at Connors Steak and Seafood at Bridge Street. He somehow makes time for a hobby of collecting and building Legos. “I have a 10-thousand piece Lego standing five feet tall in my room at home. It took me and a friend almost two months to complete. I also collect One Piece trading cards.”

“I feel my personality is one being chilled as I’m a go with the flow kind of guy,” said Lindsey. “Growing up I didn’t look athletic as I played recreational basketball in Monrovia. I didn’t touch weights until I was in the ninth grade at Sparkman.”

It’s plain to see Lindsey has grown athletically and academically, and with his advanced classes, his future advancement has no ending as his being self-driven to succeed will win him a place in life among the most intelligent and gifted, just as he has at Sparkman High.