Alex Khvatov:
What are your
measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Alex Carder:
6’2, 223 and my last forty was a 4.7.
Alex Khvatov:
Coming out of
high school, what programs showed interest in
you?
Alex Carder:
I had only one offer from
Western Michigan. I got offered the
summer before my senior year. I committed to
them early. I went on a visit and I accepted
their offer a week later. There wasn’t a whole
lot of interest there from other schools.
Alex Khvatov:
Are you happy
with the decision that you made by coming to Western Michigan?
Alex Carder:
Yes, of course. I wasn’t happy with where I was
as a football player when I was coming out of
high school. I wasn’t much of an athlete. I
became a much better athlete at
Western Michigan. I started to
learn and study the game. I became a student of
the game here.
Alex Khvatov:
Tell us about
your junior season during which your team had a
7-6 overall record.
Alex Carder:
We didn’t reach our full potential. We left
some points off the scoreboard. We could have
won another three games. If we did that, we
could have won 10 games. WR Jordan White was a
great weapon for us. I made errors last year.
I turned the ball over. I need to improve.
Alex Khvatov:
What are your
expectations for the senior season?
Alex Carder:
We are young and talented. We could have a
special season with the right leadership. We
have the right pieces. We just need to execute
and focus on the little things. I need to put
our team in position to win football games. I
need to be a veteran for the younger guys. This
is our year. The ultimate goal is to win a MAC
championship. It is the only goal that I worry
about.
Alex Khvatov:
What are your
strengths?
Alex Carder:
I communicate effectively. I am pretty good at
putting people in the right places on the
field. I know where the players need to line
up. I am pretty accurate. I can run with the
football. I am not Michael Vick, but I can tuck
the ball and get yards when I have to.
Alex Khvatov:
What areas of your game do you
need to improve upon?
Alex Carder:
My decision making needs to improve. I need to
read the field better. I need to make more
consistent decisions. I can do a lot better in
that aspect. I need to improve my arm
strength. I have been working on my strength in
the off-season. I have been working on my
conditioning. In the past, I have gotten a
little tired in the fourth quarter. We do run a
fast paced offense, but being tired impairs you
to make better decisions. I am currently in the
best shape of my life. I want to give it my
all. It is my senior year. It is my last
opportunity to play college football.
Alex Khvatov:
You set a school
record with 3,873 passing yards last year, how
proud are you of it?
Alex Carder:
I didn’t know that. I guess it feels nice. It
is a huge honor. It is a huge testament to my
teammates. It is a team game. But yards are
yards. I am more concerned with wins and
losses. That is where the worth of the team
lies.
Alex Khvatov:
What is the
highlight of your career up to this point?
Alex Carder:
I hope to have better highlights this season.
It was a thrill beating
Central Michigan at home. I will
never forget that day. We lost so many years to
Central. We had so much built up anger. We
finally beat them. It felt great. The UConn
game also brings back a lot of memories. We
came back from a 21-point deficit. We proved
that we have the capabilities of beating bigger
teams. A lot of people say that we are not a
BCS team and that we are from the MAC. We are
always fighting to gain respect.
Alex Khvatov:
Which players on
your team are ready to have a breakout season?
Alex Carder:
Defensively S Johnnie Simon, S Justin Currie, DE
Freddie Bishop and LB Chris Prom. OT Dann
O’Neill is good. I like his attitude and love
for the game. WR Eric Monette is a stud. He is
getting better every day.
Alex Khvatov:
What do you enjoy
most about football?
Alex Carder:
I like the feeling after you score a
touchdown. I like the feeling when our team
scores a touchdown. There is no better feeling
in the world than when you are winning games. I
started playing this game when I was seven years
old. It is the greatest game in the world.
Everyone needs to be on the same page working to
achieve the same goal. I touch the ball on
every play. But there are positional players
like OL and DL that don’t touch the ball, and
they still love this game. That is amazing to
me. There is so much commitment involved.
Football affects people’s lives whether they are
playing it or watching it. I am no different.
This game is just so close to me.
Alex Khvatov:
What is your
favorite NFL team?
Alex Carder:
I am a die hard Chiefs fan. It is my team.
They didn’t have a good draft this year. But
they found the right coach. I like Romeo
Crennel.
Alex Khvatov:
Who is your
favorite NFL player?
Alex Carder:
I have a few. Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers,
Calvin Johnson and Jared Allen.
Alex Khvatov:
What does it take
to be a leader?
Alex Carder:
It is someone who leads by example. You need
to be humble and modest. You need to give
credit where credit is due. My yard
accomplishments don’t mean anything if my
offensive line isn’t blocking for me or the WR’s
aren’t catching. Everyone needs to do their
job. A leader needs to play this game with
urgency. A leader has to communicate and
everyone needs to understand what I am
thinking. Receivers need to know what’s inside
my head. You need to tell the truth to your
teammates even if they don’t want to hear it. I
have accepted responsibility in college and have
become a better leader.
Alex Khvatov:
What are your
hobbies?
Alex Carder:
I like to stay pretty active. I go mountain
biking with my dad when I am home. I play beach
volleyball in the summer. I also play Frisbee
golf which is popular around Michigan.
Alex Khvatov:
What makes you a
unique individual?
Alex Carder:
I am a pretty good artist. It doesn’t require
too much effort from my side. I can draw or
paint. I could possibly make a career out of
it. I feel relaxed doing it. It relieves
stress.
Alex Khvatov:
What do you plan to do after your
football career is over?
Alex Carder:
I am
an organizational communications major with a
minor in business. I want to get into sports
broadcasting when I am done with football. I am
planning to have the longest career in
football. It is my goal. When it ends, I plan
to get into sports broadcasting. It is right up
my alley.
Alex Khvatov:
Finish the
sentence, Alex Carder is….
Alex Carder:
I am a family-oriented person. Family is my
biggest priority. Football is a close second.
I try to be as aware as possible. My
personality is perfect for what QB is all
about. I love to play football. It is what I
am. I want to make my stamp in this game. But
family still comes first.