Carter Warren, Pitt Offensive Line Hosts "Carter's Creations Initiative" Event

PITTSBURGH -- Carter Warren - all six feet, five inches and 320 pounds of him - could almost single-handedly block the hallways of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania in Millvale. The starting left tackle for the Pitt Panthers stood head and shoulders above almost everyone in the building, particularly the young children that swarmed around he and the rest of the Pitt Panthers' starting offensive line. 

The Pitt redshirt senior, Warren is far removed from being that small himself, but still remembers those days. That is, after all, why he was at the Boys and Girls Club in the first place. On the front steps of the clubhouse, as he introduced a charitable use of NIL that bore his name and sported a t-shirt with "Carter's Creations Initiative" printed across the chest, Warren recalled finding support in his own local Boys and Girls Club. 

"Growing up, I was always in the Boys and Girls Clubs," Warren said. "It means a lot to me. Growing up, living in Patterson, New Jersey, there’s not much around. It’s a tough area, but the Boys and Girls Clubs was a safe haven for a lot of people.”

Warren, who because of recently relaxed Name, Image and Likeness rules for college athletes was able to hold this event, organized the Carters Creations Initiative with the help of his NIL representation, Sammy Spina of Neostar Football and Vintage Management Group. 

Alongside Gabe Houy, Marcus Minor, Owen Drexel and Jake Kradel - the rest of Pitt's starting offensive line - Warren spent the afternoon with kids, playing games, doing arts and crafts and throwing footballs around outside. It was a simple action, one that each player said was easy to commit to when Warren asked them to join. Still, they all recognized how important it is to act as a positive role model for kids. 

“When I was growing up, I always wanted to meet football players, whether it was college or NFL, because I knew that they could help my life overall," Minor said. "So we are just excited to have the chance to do that with kids now. If I am able to mentor one kid, help one throughout the day then I’ve done my job.”

Former Pitt and now Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett used NIL to put on a similar event last year in Lawrenceville and Jessi Marsh, Vice President of Advancement and Philanthropy for the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, said that the connections mean something more when the players they see on television come to visit, learn their names and spend an afternoon with them. 

"Getting up close to these players, and they’re so big and they’re a little intimidating, but the kids know they’re here for great reasons and they want to spend time with them and get to know them," Marsh said. "When the players get down on the level of the kids and look them in the eye and ask them their name and shake their hands, it just means so much to them.”

While on Tuesday, the players were simply playing games and having fun with the kids, Marsh said there is an added visibility that events like this give to the programs benefiting children in the area. 

"These programs are so important for the kids in our region," Marsh said. "We are introducing kids to everything from sports and recreation to STEM and literacy so that they have great opportunities. Because the kids you see here are the leaders of our region for tomorrow so it's really important that we invest in them."

Marsh said that she hopes this is something that Pitt and the organization continue to do annually because of how the regular visits can help make Club kids feel valued. 

"We would love for Pitt to come out as often as they’d like to," Marsh said. "When they see someone on television and that same person comes to get to know them and ask their name and spend some time with them, it helps them remember that they’re important and they matter.”

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