Ever since he started playing team sports, Jacari Carney has had to prove himself over and over. And each time, he has demonstrated he was up to the task.

Carney took a step toward fulfilling one of his biggest dreams last Friday when he signed to play football at Columbus State University.

The Bryan County all-state running back—he was a first team selection by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association—and Region 3A-DI Offensive Player of the Year was running out of opportunities when he hooked up with the Cougars.

The biggest issue Carney had to deal with was his size. In these days of the transfer portal and players transferring willy-nilly it is becoming more difficult for high school players to get recruited. It becomes more difficult when you’re 5-foot-7, 165-pounds.

So, Carney, along with Redskins coaches, took the initiative and started reaching out rather than waiting for a recruiter to come calling.

The result was a somewhat unique opportunity to continue playing football at a higher level:  Columbus State plays club football as a member of the National Club Football Association. The team is not a part of the Columbus State athletic program but rather is supported by student fees.

However, the NCFA is not to be mistaken for a glorified intramural program. It is real football with schools such as Ohio State, Michigan State, Pitt, Toledo, South Carolina and Vermont fielding teams.

Other schools in Georgia sponsor teams include Central Georgia Tech and Gordon State. The Cougars have been playing club football for 14 years.

Central Georgia Tech just completed a 13-0 season which concluded with a win over Ohio State in the national championship game. The school, which is located in Macon, just recently announced it will be adding football, along with mens' and womens' soccer, to its athletic program this fall and will compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

“I have a cousin at Columbus State and I like it over there,” Carney said. “I had posted on Twitter “4.4 (seconds) Running Back Looking For A Home” and they reached out. They offered and I accepted.”

Carney was a key player for a Redskins team which made school history in winning its first ever region championship while going 12-4 and advancing to the Class A-DI Final Four where it lost to state champion Prince Avenue Christian.

A four-year starter, Carney went both ways as he excelled as both a running back and cornerback. This past season he ran for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 119 carries.

“A versatile running back, a playmaker,” Carney said when asked what the Cougars were getting. “A player who is quick, can make big plays. Very tough, not as big as he’s got to be but a player who runs downhill, one who comes at you.”

Teammates Tanner Ennis and Austin Clemons, who have signed to play at Georgia Military College and Middle Tennessee State University, both said they were happy to see a teammate who they’ve played with since grade school get a chance to continue his career.

“He’s a great teammate,” Ennis said. “The most impressive things about him are his speed, he’s always one of the smallest people on the field but he’s really strong and he’s physically tough.”,

“I’m proud to see him achieve his ultimate dream,” Clemons said. “He’s a really tough player and I think Columbus State is going to be surprised at how good he is.”

Carney’s biggest games came in two of the Redskins’ most important games of the season.

In an opening round playoff game against East Laurens he scored four touchdowns, one coming on a 90-yard run, in a 55-14 win. It was Bryan County’s first-ever playoff win.

In a game with Screven County where a win would put the Redskins in position to win the region and clinch a playoff berth and Clemons out with an injury, Carney carried the ball 34 times for 220 yards to lead a 34-13 win.

Offensive coordinator Chad Roberts coached Carney for seven years, three as head coach at the middle school and the last four at the high school.

“Tanner played quarterback, Sean Kelly (Hill) was my fullback while Jacari and Smush (Clemons) were my halfbacks,” said Roberts. “It’s hard to believe but in the seventh grade they all weighed under 100 pounds. We ran the wishbone and Jacari was the smallest of the bunch but he was also the fastest.

“It’s always awesome to kids moving on but more important is seeing them getting a chance to get a college degree.”

Carney did not overlook the academic side, either. While thanking his coaches for having faith in him he thanked his teachers, especially Jessica McBride.

“Miss McBride stayed on top of me,” Carney said. “She made me work and encouraged me. She was always telling me academics was more important than football. I owe her a lot, too.”