Today we’d like to introduce you to William Carter.
Hi William , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember, but football has always been my favorite.
Even before I played organized football, I was always playing with a football. I had one of those little sets with the basketball, soccer ball, and football, and I would take the football everywhere. I was always throwing it, catching it, playing with it, or trying to find somebody to play with.
What’s different about my story is that I didn’t start playing organized football when I was five or six years old. I started about four years ago.
My first year, I played on a team with my cousin. Because I was already a big kid, I played on the line. I mostly blocked, and I really hadn’t developed into the player I am now.
My mom was also learning football at the same time I was. She didn’t grow up knowing the game, so this was really our first experience learning football together.
But my dad knew football.
He actually played football himself and had a full scholarship to play in college. His football career could have gone a completely different way, but when he and my mom found out they were having me their senior year of high school, my dad made the decision to stay and be my dad.
And he has been that dad ever since.
So while my mom was learning the game alongside me, my dad already understood it. He knew what he was looking at. He knew the game. He knew what I needed to work on. And he’s been there for every part of my football journey.
That first year wasn’t the best experience for us. My mom saw things that made her realize that if I was going to keep playing, I needed to be somewhere that was actually going to develop me.
She wasn’t looking for somewhere that was going to give me a free ride because I was big. She wanted coaches who were going to teach me, challenge me, and make me better.
Then that summer, I broke my wrist riding my bike. I was doing some crazy kid stuff, riding over rocks, and I ended up breaking it. I had to sit out for the first couple months of the next season.
While I was out, we started looking at different teams.
My cousin was already looking at the Seminoles, and he kept telling us to come check them out. So we went to watch.
What I liked about the Seminoles was that the kids looked disciplined. They knew where to line up. They understood their assignments. They actually looked like they knew how to play football.
So I joined the Seminoles.
When I first got there, I was mostly a defensive player.
I was good at defense. I liked hitting. I liked making plays. I was big and physical, and that’s where I made most of my impact.
But I wanted to play offense too.
I wanted the ball.
I wanted to score.
The problem was, I didn’t get a lot of chances because when I did get the ball, I didn’t always make the right play. I made mistakes. Sometimes I messed up my assignments, and I understood why I wasn’t getting as many opportunities.
So instead of complaining about not getting the ball, I started working.
I worked outside of practice. I worked outside of games. I worked when nobody was watching.
And my dad was right there.
Every extra practice. Every time we went to the hill. Every workout. Every time we worked on something outside of regular football practice, my dad was there.
He doesn’t miss a game.
He doesn’t miss a practice.
He doesn’t miss a stretch.
He doesn’t miss the little things either.
He’ll be there helping me get ready for a game, even down to something as simple as picking out which headband I’m going to wear.
That’s just who he is.
He wanted to prove that I could be trusted with the ball, and both of my parents helped me get there in different ways.
My dad already knew the game, so he could help me understand the football side of things.
My mom was learning it with me, but she was always paying attention to the bigger picture—my development, my discipline, how I carried myself, and whether I was actually putting in the work.
I needed both.
My dad and I worked on a lot of things. I needed to get faster, so we worked on my footwork. I needed to get stronger, so we worked on that. We figured out what I wasn’t good at and worked until I got better.
My mom was there for the work too.
It wasn’t just about what happened when I put on my helmet and stepped onto the field. A lot of my development happened when nobody was watching.
My parents made sure of that.
My parents were also always honest with me.
After games, I would ask them what they thought about how I played.
Sometimes I didn’t like the answer.
There were times they told me I wasn’t top five.
That didn’t mean they thought I couldn’t be.
They were telling me where I was at that moment.
Then they would tell me what I needed to work on.
I didn’t always like those conversations, but they made me work harder.
I wanted to come back the next game and show that I had improved.
Over time, I started getting better.
The same kid who didn’t get many chances on offense eventually became somebody coaches could trust with the ball.
Now, you pretty much have to find me if you want to keep the ball out of my hands.
I’ve worked to become a player who can make an impact on both sides of the ball.
Defense is still a big part of my game, but now I can play offense too.
One thing my mom has always done is document everything.
She filmed my practices, games, tournaments, travel, wins, losses, and everything in between.
She always told other parents that they needed to document their kids because you never know who is watching.
My page isn’t just about me playing football.
It’s basically my football timeline.
If somebody wants to know where I started, what I struggled with, how I developed, where I’ve traveled, and how I’ve grown, they can look at my page and see it.
Now I know people are watching me, and that makes me want to work even harder.
I know I can’t just show up and expect things to happen.
I have to work.
I have to be prepared.
I have to keep developing.
And I know I have two parents behind me who are going to make sure I’m doing everything I can to become the best version of myself.
Football is a big part of my life, but it’s not the only thing I care about.
I’m also thinking about my future.
Right now, I’m going on high school tours and checking out different schools for myself. I’m looking at what they have academically and what they have athletically.
I don’t want to just pick a school because somebody tells me to go there. I want to know what the school can offer me and what kind of future I can build there.
I’m 12 years old, even though people sometimes think I’m 15 or 16 because of how big I am.
I’m still a kid.
I like to have fun. I’m funny. I care about my friends and younger kids. I’m probably a lot different off the field than I am on it.
When I’m playing football, I’m locked in.
When I get off the field, I’m back to being me.
And when I look at my journey, I know I wouldn’t be where I am without both of my parents.
My mom introduced me to the business side of documenting the journey and has been there through every conversation, every critique, every game, and every decision.
My dad has been there with the football knowledge and the work. He gave up the opportunity to chase his own football career when he became a father, and instead, he chose to be present for mine.
He’s been there for every extra rep, every hill, every practice, every game, every stretch, every little detail.
They both show up differently, but they both show up.
And I think that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m becoming the person I am.
Looking back at everything, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always get what you want right away.
Sometimes you have to earn it.
Sometimes you have to hear that you’re not good enough yet.
Sometimes you have to work when nobody is watching.
And sometimes you have to keep going even when things aren’t going your way.
That’s what I’ve been doing.
I’m still developing.
I’m still learning.
I’m still working.
And I feel like I’m just getting started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
Football itself has had a lot of challenges. When I first started, I was mostly playing on the line because of my size. When I got to the Seminoles, I was mainly a defensive player, even though I really wanted to play offense and touch the ball. I didn’t always get those opportunities because when I did get the ball, I made mistakes. I had to learn that wanting an opportunity wasn’t enough—I had to earn the trust that came with it.
There were also times when I had to hear things I didn’t necessarily want to hear. My parents have always been honest with me. If I didn’t play well, they told me. If I wasn’t one of the top players, they told me. But they also helped me figure out what I needed to do to get better. Instead of letting those things discourage me, I learned to use them as motivation.
I’ve also had to deal with injuries, including breaking my wrist and having to sit out when I wanted to be playing.
But as I’ve gotten better at football, I’ve realized that some of the hardest parts aren’t even on the field.
I’m getting older, people are starting to know who I am, and more people are watching me. That comes with attention, popularity, and a lot of different energy around you. I have to learn how to stay focused and not get caught up in what everybody else is doing.
My parents always remind me to stay in my own lane.
I have to remember that everybody’s journey is different. I can’t worry about who has more attention, who is getting more opportunities, who is being talked about, or what somebody else is doing. I have to focus on becoming better than I was yesterday.
Academics are also really important to me. Football is a big part of my life, but I know it can’t be the only thing I focus on. My parents make sure I understand that my future is bigger than football, so I have to keep my grades up, stay disciplined in school, and make good decisions.
That’s probably one of the biggest things I’m learning right now: how to handle everything that comes with becoming a better athlete while still being a kid and keeping my head on straight.
It’s easy to get caught up in the attention or the excitement, especially when people start watching you. But my parents keep me grounded. They remind me that the work doesn’t stop just because people notice you.
If anything, that’s when you have to work even harder.
So no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been injuries, mistakes, setbacks, tough conversations, and times when I had to work for opportunities I really wanted.
But I think those things have helped make me who I am.
I’m learning how to stay focused, stay humble, take criticism, handle attention, keep my academics a priority, and continue working without worrying about everybody else’s journey.
I’m just trying to stay in my own lane, keep my head down, and keep getting better.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
A big part of William’s story now is that he has grown beyond just being a football player.
WC3 has helped create something bigger around him—his own personal brand. And the biggest thing about that brand is that William is the brand.
He’s naturally a cool kid. He has a personality that people are drawn to, and he has learned how to take that personality into different spaces while still being himself. Football is a huge part of who he is, but it’s not the only thing he does.
Outside of school, football, and sports, William has started building relationships with brands and taking on opportunities that require him to show up professionally. He has brand deals, content commitments, appearances, and different creative opportunities where he has to learn how to represent himself.
He’s had to learn how to get in front of the camera, talk behind the camera, communicate, take direction, create content, and understand that when people work with him, they’re not just working with an athlete—they’re working with William.
That’s something I’m really proud of.
He’s learning skills at 12 years old that go beyond football. He’s learning how to communicate, how to be professional, how to be comfortable in front of people, how to represent a brand, and how to understand the value of his own image and personality.
What sets William apart is that he doesn’t fit into just one box.
He’s an athlete. He’s a student. He’s a personality. He’s a content creator. He’s learning business. He’s building a personal brand. And he’s still just a kid who likes to have fun and be himself.
We never wanted to force a personality onto him. The reason the brand works is because he’s genuinely that kid.
He’s naturally cool. He’s funny. He’s confident without having to try too hard, and he has a personality that comes through whether he’s on the football field or standing in front of a camera.
I’m most proud that he’s learning how to take all of these opportunities while still understanding that he’s only 12. He doesn’t have to rush to become an adult. He’s learning the business side while still enjoying being a kid.
And WC3 isn’t just a football player.
It’s about developing William as a whole person and teaching him how to use every opportunity—football, academics, content, brands, and his personality—to build something for himself.
Ultimately, what makes him different is that he isn’t trying to become somebody else’s version of an athlete. He’s becoming William.
And William is the brand.
What are your plans for the future?
My biggest plan for the future is to keep developing and see how far I can take everything I’m doing.
Football is a big goal for me. I want to keep getting better on both sides of the ball, continue developing physically and mentally, and eventually play at the highest level I can. I would love to play college football and hopefully earn a scholarship, but I also know that I have a lot of work to do before I get there.
Right now, one of the biggest things I’m focused on is high school. I’m visiting different schools and looking at what they offer academically and athletically. I want to find a school where I can grow as a student, an athlete, and a person.
I’m also excited about everything I’m building outside of football.
My mom has helped me start developing my own brand, and I want to continue learning how to work with brands, create content, be in front of and behind the camera, and understand the business side of what I’m doing. I like that I don’t have to be just one thing.
I want to keep being an athlete, but I also want to build something for myself.
At the same time, I know I’m still 12. I don’t want to rush through being a kid just because I have opportunities in front of me. I want to enjoy the process, keep having fun, stay close to my family, and keep learning.
My biggest goal is honestly to stay focused, keep my grades up, keep working, and stay in my own lane.
I don’t know exactly what the future is going to look like yet, and I’m okay with that.
I just know I want to keep getting better, keep opening doors, and be ready when the right opportunities come.
I’m excited about what’s next because I feel like I’ve only shown a small part of what I can do.
Pricing:
- Brand partnerships, content collaborations, and appearances: Pricing available upon request.
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