Justin Carr EHS to Campbellsville

Eastern (Pekin) senior Justin Carr has excelled in the game of football for the Musketeers over the last four years. Despite not having a great overall won and loss record, Carr still enjoyed learning and growing in the game he loves.

Carr has also played the last four years with one head coach in Luke Dean, so he knows how he coaches and what he expects. However, he will have to learn a new coach and his techniques soon when he plays at the next level.

“It really helps to have the same coaches for four years because it really builds a bond like me and coach had for four years, so it really helps a team in my opinion,” Carr said.

His last two seasons, he was named to the Mid-Southern Conference all-honorable mention team. He would like to have been named MSC All-Conference, but was happy to get noticed by other coaches in the conference.

“Well defense really stepped it up this year and its hard being a young program in such a tough conference we competed against small schools but it’s just hard in a conference like that,” Carr said.  

As the season went along there were more growing concerns that they would not play a game this week because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Carr and the rest of his teammates got through the season?

“It was rough because you never knew what was going to hold and just wondering if my senior season would come to an early end,” Carr said. “It was difficult to think about but I’m thankful that we got to play most of our games.

“I think that we were all just ready to let it go and play football especially after COVID. I know a lot of guys on the team that we’re just ready to play some football and I really think that helped us play really good.”

As for his role on the team, he considered himself a team leader.

While a student at Eastern, Carr also participated in the Delta Club.

As for his inspiration into the game of football was his family.

“My family,” Carr said. “We are a big football family always have been and I just grew up from a young age loving football. Yeah I’ve wanted to play college ball for as long as I can remember.” 

As for his next stop after graduation, Carr will attend the Campbellsville University in Kentucky and play for the Tigers football team.

“A couple of colleges like LWC I looked at, but Campbellsville is the place I belong,” Carr said. “God definitely put me on that path.”

The Tigers play in the NAIA and in the Mid-South Conference. They are coached by head coach and defensive coordinator Perry Thomas.

“Defense definitely I will be play linebacker in college as I did in high school,” Carr said.

The Tigers have won 4 MSC Championships and two in the last seven years. They have won two NCCAA Victory Bowl Championships.
The Tigers play their home games at Finley Stadium and Citizen’s Bank Field.

As for his future, he plans on studying physical fitness and training because he wants to be a head coach someday.

Name: Justin Carr
Hometown: Pekin
Parents: Jeni and Jason Carr  
GPA:2.0 
Plans after graduation: College Football 
Clubs/Activities in high school: Football and Delta Club
Favorite Food: Alfredo 
Favorite College Team: Louisville 
Favorite Book: the Bible 
Quote: “wins and losses are a dime a dozen but effort, no one can judge that, because that’s between you and you”
What was it like attending Eastern: Fun I’ve been here my whole life everyone knows everyone and help each other out and being on a football team like that it unmatched