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Shyheim Carter’s preparation for college football’s biggest stage began in a 15-passenger van driving down the backroads of rural Louisiana. Growing up in the 2,500 population town of Kentwood, La., Carter was far away from the bright lights he plays under now at Alabama. Although, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t prepared for them.

Like many promising athletes, Carter gravitated to Vincent Sanders, a barber turned mentor from nearby Amite, La., known for his college connections and ability to guide young men toward success. Sanders, a father figure to many of his athletes, provides everything from life advice to transportation, taking his kids across the Southeast to camps and college visits. In Carter’s case, Sanders is one of the biggest influencers of a business-first approach driving the Alabama defensive back this season.

“The radio was off on some of those rides, and I’m just like, ‘Shyheim, I’m ESPN, and I’m about to do an interview with you. Let’s go,’” Sanders said. “It’s about just preparing for anything so when the moment comes it’s nothing to you. You’ve been there before; you’re ready for it. That’s how Shyheim is. Every day is calculated and thought through prior to it happening. He’s on a mission.”

So far Carter’s journey has led him from Kentwood to a starting spot on the nation’s No. 1 team. Through eight games, the junior defensive back has returned two interceptions for touchdowns, totaling an SEC-leading 89 return yards. He’s also tallied 23 tackles with two pass breakups and a forced fumble. However, Carter’s mission isn’t measured in numbers. To truly understand it you have to know where he came from and, more importantly, the reason behind it.

Those who know Carter back home call him “Nook,” a shortened version of the nickname “Nuck-Nuck” given to him by his mother as a baby. However, if you really know Carter you call him “Christmas.” His grandfather dubbed him that because from the moment he saw him he knew he was going to be special.

Sanders saw that, too, the first time he witnessed Carter’s playmaking ability on the football field — only he wasn’t as happy to see him.

“A lot of people don’t know this story, but I didn’t like Shyheim at first,” Sanders said with a laugh. “I’m going to tell you how it started. I’m coaching a junior high football game, and they got this kid. I mean, Amite’s junior high team was good, but we’re playing this team from Kentwood.

“Anyway, I look up, and I see a touchdown. I was like, ‘Man that kid was pretty good.’ Next drive, ‘Touchdown!’ I’m like, ‘Wait, we need to stop them.’ ‘Touchdown!’ At that point, I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t even like this kid.’ He ended up scoring six times. Then the next year comes, and he scores about five more.”

Not too long after that, the two crossed paths again, this time on friendlier terms. Carter and Sanders were introduced by Sam Petitto, a friend of Sanders who now serves as Alabama’s assistant director of player personnel. Petitto urged Sanders to meet Carter, explaining that he didn’t have a father figure in his life and could use the guidance. Naturally, the tender-hearted mentor obliged.

“Shyheim comes up to me with some horned-rim glasses. A lot of people don’t know, but he’s a nerd on the slick,” Sanders recalled. “He said, ‘How are you doing Mr. Sanders?’ I was like, ‘Shyheim, right?’ I was looking at him like, ‘This kid doesn’t look like the kid I saw on the field.”'

It didn’t take long for Sanders to recognize the player who had been tormenting his team the past two years. He describes Carter’s work ethic as “relentless,” remembering the offseason workouts that began before the sun came up and ended well past when it went down.

“This kid used to jump the fence at Kentwood High School at night to go run routes by himself,” Sanders said. “How do you run routes by yourself? He just did it. No ball, just mimicking as if someone was out there with him. He just wanted it that bad.”

Sanders, who also mentors Alabama receiver and Amite native DeVonta Smith, took Carter under his wing off the field as well. He’s the one who thought to change Carter’s nickname from “Nuck-Nuck” to “Nook.” The streamlined moniker was cooler, and wouldn’t allow opposing fans to taunt him with a different four-letter word.

Sanders always had a way of preparing Carter for anything life could throw his way. The two talk daily with conversations ranging from impromptu quizzes — like the mock interview in the van — to more down-to-earth topics. The latter became increasingly important.

Tucked away from the crowd, Carter studied as teammate Deionte Thompson fielded questions from reporters earlier this fall. Unlike other players who often chime in with jokes and jibes, he watched intently, readying himself for a situation he had yet to face.

There’s an air of stoicism that surrounds Carter. His stern, no-nonsense demeanor is best described as “businessman quiet” by teammate Quinnen Williams. It’s a label Carter wears proudly.

“It’s not personal,” he said. “It’s just business.”

Football has been more than just a game for quite some time now. Carter, 21, is the proud father of two children: Sh’Niya, 5, and Shyheim Jr., 4. Those two serve as his inspiration and are the reason behind his unrelenting pursuit for improvement.

“I FaceTime them daily. Once they get home from school and I get done with practice, I talk with them,” Carter said. “I have a why, and my why is my two kids, my mom and my grandma. Just knowing where I came from, that’s my why. That’s what drives me to be great.”

Sh’Niya, who goes by “Honeybun,” and Shyheim Jr., who goes by “S.J.,” were born during Carter’s junior and senior years of high school. Already mature for his age, Carter adapted to fatherhood better than most. Aided by his mother, Elizabeth Carter, as well as other family members and friends, he vowed to become not only a constant positive role model in his children’s lives but also make the most of his opportunity to provide for them in the future.

“I had a discussion with him, and it was like ‘We got to go,’” Sanders said. “We have to get a degree. We have to get college paid for, so we have to become the greatest athlete this town has ever seen.”

A brief smile sweeps over Carter’s face when discussing his kids. It’s later replaced with a longing look upwards as he recites their favorite question: “When is the next time we are going to see you?”

“Soon,” he promises. “It’s always soon.”

Despite living four hours away from home, Carter’s supporting cast helps ensure that’s a reality. While the defensive back doesn’t make it back home to Kentwood very often, his mother and Sanders take turns making the trek down I-59 to deliver the two special visitors to him whenever possible.

Even when they can’t make the trip, Sh’Niya and Shyheim Jr. are their father’s biggest fans. In fact, “SJ” has already informed his grandma of his intentions to “grow up and play football just like my daddy.”

“They love to watch their daddy play football,” Elizabeth Carter said. “I’ve recorded every game he’s played this year. They’ll just come up to me like, ‘I want to watch my dad on TV.’ I’ll go pull up a game he already played in and they’ll sit there and watch him.”

Sanders’ voice nearly went out before Carter crossed the goal line. Screaming at his television, he proudly watched as the defensive back recorded his first career interception during Alabama’s season-opener against Louisville. With Alabama leading 44-7 in the fourth quarter, Carter fielded an overthrown line drive from Juwan Pass before returning it 44 yards untouched down the right sideline for a touchdown.

Sanders was shocked — not because his former athlete came up on the big stage but because he saw play the night before in a dream.

“I went hoarse because I was hollering so much,” Sanders said. “I knew he was gone. I saw it that night, the pick-6. It tripped me out.”

Sanders is telling the truth. He’s got a photo to prove it. Timestamped at 9:28 a.m. the day of the game, his text to Carter read: “This is your time Big Dawg, go do what GOD intended for you to do. Can’t wait to see your 1st pick of the season. I dreamed about it last night, now go make our dreams a Reality.”

Carter’s early success this season shouldn’t come as a surprise. The former four-star signed with Alabama as the No. 114 player overall in the 2016 class. A two-way player in high school, he earned Class 1A Offensive MVP in both his junior and senior years. During his senior season, Carter tallied 57 tackles and five interceptions on defense while adding 2,443 passing yards, 1,648 rushing yards and 30 combined touchdowns on offense en route to leading Kentwood to its first state title since 1998.

Carter says the time he spent on the offensive side of the ball allows him to break down coverages in a matter of seconds. That, along with being a former quarterback, makes it easy for him to tap into the mind of opposing passers and bait them into mistakes. While those skills came naturally to him, mastering Alabama’s multifaceted defense took a bit more time.

“When I first came in, I used to say, ‘Man, I’ll never learn the playbook,’” Carter said shaking his head. “My teammates used to always tell me, ‘You’re going to mess up, so just be patient with it. You just have to have faith and keep working at it.’”

Determined to get on the field early, the young defensive back turned to his veteran teammates for help. That usually came in the form of roommate Levi Wallace.

“He was always asking me about everything, from my routine and what I do for game days to how I look at film to what I do with my free time,” said Wallace, who now plays cornerback for the Buffalo Bills. “I tried to help him with as many things as I could. You could tell he just wanted to be an overall good athlete. He was always eager to learn.”

Carter also formed a close bond with former Alabama cornerback Anthony Averett, who made a similar switch from offense to defense during college. After watching Carter mature the past two years, the current Baltimore Ravens cornerback said he isn’t surprised with what he’s seen from him this season.

“He was always in the playbook. He took that seriously,” Averett said. “The thing about him is he always wanted to know why. He would always ask why we were doing what we were doing. That’s important when you’re learning to play DB. After a few years you could see him start to realize, ‘Oh, that’s why we’re doing that.’”

Carter isn’t done picking his former teammates’ brains. Both Averett and Wallace still get texts from Carter most weeks asking for either critiques or pointers. However, these days it's the junior who finds himself on the giving end of any advice.

Following Trevon Diggs’ season-ending foot injury, Carter joins Thompson as the two most experienced defensive backs in Alabama’s starting secondary. The 6-foot, 195-pound defender currently serves as the Star in both the nickel and dime packages and plays a significant role in calling out checks to the rest of the defensive backs.

“He has a knack for what’s going on,” Thompson said. “He knows what’s coming and he can get everyone lined up. The mental side of the game: he’s got it. He helps me out most of the time. He and I being the most experienced, we kind of help each other out and help the younger guys out, get everything flowing the right way.”

Carter is coming off one of his best performance of the season against Tennessee where he tallied four tackles and a forced fumble while receiving a team-high 95.2 grade against the run, according to Pro Football Focus. No. 1 Alabama will need a similar showing this week as it travels to a No. 3 LSU on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

The game inside of Tiger Stadium will take place a mere 80 miles away from where things started for Carter in Kentwood, a fitting reminder of how far he’s come.

“This year’s been a blessing for me and the team so far,” Carter said. “I’m just looking forward to getting better every week. It’s definitely been a blessing playing with these guys. We just have to keep working.”

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