Pictured is Pickens High School senior Carter McCollum, The Easley Progress 2024-25 Football Player of the Year, and Sports Editor Jeff Holt.
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PICKENS — It would be easy to get all wrapped up in the individual statistics of Carter McCollum. His senior year featured him running the football for 1,872 yards (on 282 carries), scoring 18 touchdowns and only fumbling the football one time.
Number 6 for Pickens High School just left it on the field.
“The mentality I had my senior year was you are going to have to roll me off the field before I quit,” said 17-year-old McCollum, The Easley Progress 2024-25 Football Player of the Year. “Football is just in my blood.”
The impressive thing, too, is how McCollum battled back from a serious leg injury.
McCollum missed all 10 games his sophomore year due to the injury.
Commented McCollum, “The summer going into my sophomore year I got injured. That was a huge setback. I had played a year on offense (his freshman year) and had found my click, and it all just stopped. I could not even lift my leg off the ground and I could not even move my leg. I was like how in the world am I going to get back. Through PT and just lifting I got back, and my junior year I was right around 1,400 yards (rushing). That gave me a lot of confidence going into this year.”
Despite the season-ending surgery his sophomore year, McCollum still turned it into a positive.
“I had surgery the day of our first game, and I made the game after my surgery,” he said. “I promised my boys that I would be there after my surgery. And sure enough, I showed up. I don’t remember because I was on so much medicine but I was there.”
McCollum and the Blue Flame went from a 1-9 record (his junior year) to a 5-6 record this past season, which included making the playoffs.
“It was amazing to see us all come together after the year we had last year,” said McCollum. “I said that I’m going to have to put my foot on the gas (for his senior year) and leave it all out there. We had setbacks but we were able to bounce back. We were all in. We were giving it our all 100 percent of the time. It was amazing with these boys. I could look at them like don’t let me down and they wouldn’t. The atmosphere was amazing.”
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound McCollum also has a 4.4 grade point average in the classroom.
“Academically, I just try to do my best,” he said. “Academics is not my favorite thing whatsoever, but I realize you have to do them. You have to do it to be successful in life. I’m willing to just give it my all. Even though it is not my favorite thing to do and what I want to do. I have to. Like last night, we had midterms all day today. I studied all night long – not because I wanted to. I could have been watching Swat.”
Looking back on his football career, you can quickly point to his senior year and the first victory of the year over rival Easley. McCollum reflected back – as the senior captain – on how he helped lead Pickens to an overtime win over the Easley.
“When we went into overtime, I went out there and we had the coin toss. The defense was on the field first,” he said. “I told them if you get me that ball, I will put it in the end zone if it is the last thing I ever do. Sure enough, they went out there and came up big. They got me the ball and I told coach to hand me that ball. Sure enough, our line blocked down and created a gap. It was me and a linebacker and a safety, and there was no thinking. It was just running at that point.”
Leaving his mark: Pickens varsity football coach James Reynolds could not say enough good things about McCollum and how he made an impact on the team, the program and the community.
Commented Reynolds, about his star running back, “Carter had a great season and a great career. In his time at PHS, he showed his teammates and younger players what it takes to be successful. He gave his best to develop himself in the weight room from middle school to today. He conducts himself with class outside of school and gives his best in the classroom. He’s always respectful with adults and has consistently shown humility and gratitude despite all of his accomplishments. He’s a credit to our school, his family, and our community. Carter deserves whatever honors come his way, but he will never be satisfied and will always push himself to even greater things. We all look forward to seeing what he’ll do at the next level and the man he’s working on becoming.”
Favorites:
TV Show: Swat
Movie: Top Gun (original)
Pro Team: Bills
College Team: Clemson
Type of Food: Chicken
Restaurant: Durham’s Convenience Store
Pro Athlete: Marshawn Lynch
Type of music: Country
Teacher at PHS: Lisa Furr
Subject in school: History
Hobby outside of football: Fishing/Hunting