Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is recognized as one of the top college football players, regardless of position. The true junior earned consensus All-American honors, was a Bednarik Award finalist, and tallied 22 tackles for loss, including 11 sacks this season.
However, the Nittany Lions, who earned a spot in the College Football Playoff Semifinals and the Orange Bowl with a 31-14 victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, might have to chase their national title hopes without Carter.
The star pass rusher exited the game against Boise State in the first half with an apparent upper left arm injury. Although he stayed on the sidelines, he did not return to play. After the game, Carter was unavailable, and head coach James Franklin mentioned only that he had suffered an arm injury.
Abdul Carter Hints at Injury Recovery with ‘Star Wars’ Reference Ahead of Orange Bowl
The next day, Franklin appeared on College GameDay, stating that Carter would do everything in his power to play if physically able. Carter seemed to confirm that sentiment on Thursday with a mysterious tweet about his injury.
The tweet didn’t include any text, but featured an image from the Star Wars franchise, showing Darth Vader in a Bacta Tank, a pod filled with a fluid designed to accelerate healing.
Though Penn State doesn’t have access to a real Bacta Tank (nor does any team), it’s clear Carter is determined to recover quickly. With the Orange Bowl set for January 9 at 7:30 p.m., the Nittany Lions have 10 days between games. Whether that’s enough time for Carter to return remains to be seen.
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