Early in his post-NFL life, former cornerback Tony Carter worked as a coach for the Detroit Lions, assisting with defensive plays. Now his coaching journey will bring him back to the Lions’ home field.

Carter will make his debut as Central State University head football coach Saturday at Ford Field at the revived Detroit Football Classic, where the Marauders will open their season against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) rival Kentucky State. This will be the classic’s return for the first time since 2007.

“I definitely didn’t expect to be back coaching in the stadium on the college level, but I’m definitely excited and looking forward to it,” said Carter, 39. “Also, this is my first time working at an HBCU or coaching in an HBCU realm, and I’ve realized that being in here in such a short period of time that it’s much deeper than that.

“With Deion Sanders and Eddie George and some other names who opened up the doors for a lot of former players in this space. … HBCUs are getting a lot more respect and notoriety than they have been in the last 20 years or so.”

Carter always knew he wanted to coach, though he never said it publicly. In 2018, after playing eight seasons in the NFL, he interned with the Oakland Raiders during training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. In 2019, the Jacksonville, Fla., native was hired by his hometown Jacksonville University as its cornerbacks coach.

Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia gave Carter his NFL coaching start in 2020 as the team’s defensive assistant. Although Carter spent only one season with the Lions, Patricia remembers Carter’s willingness to work his way up by simply learning.

“One of the things that is really unique about Tony is he’s got this tremendously calm demeanor,” Patricia told Andscape. “Every time you’re around him, you just feel everything is under control. He’s very steady, he’s very consistent, and as a coach, that’s a great attribute to have because the players feel that.”

After working with the Lions, Carter’s coaching career included roles at Southern Illinois University, Southeastern University and the XFL, where he worked as the defensive coordinator for the Orlando Guardians.

Central State named Carter head coach in March. Brad Kocher, the assistant athletic director of external operations at Central State, said Carter’s NFL background was not a huge factor in the hiring process. Instead, he was most impressed by Carter’s belief in developing student-athletes beyond football and his commitment to academics and community.

“I don’t think he got to finish what he had hoped to accomplish there,” Kocher said about Carter’s time in Detroit. “I think he’s got a lot of unfinished business because [of] just general life happening. … I can’t wait to see that now.”

Defensive lineman Mike White was one of the first players Carter met when he arrived on campus. White initially was concerned about what Carter had planned for the team moving forward. However, their conversation reassured White and made him even more excited for the upcoming season.

“It was a great conversation to have with him because the questions and the concerns that I had and the way he answered them made me want to dial in even more than what I was just to give him my all,” White said. “It shows in his facial expressions and the way he talks that he’s ready to give us his all and be about us.”

Carter said his legacy is about more than just winning; it’s also about making an impact, which is one of the reasons he started coaching. He also loves the mentorship that coaching allows him to provide and appreciates having the opportunity to shape the lives of players such as Central State linebacker Domonique Davis II.

“We have a pretty good relationship compared to any of my previous coaches,” Davis said. “When he first got hired, he had a one-on-one meeting with me and Mike White, and he really got to know us and see what we wanted out of this. He’s really an understanding coach.”

Carter describes himself as a “nerd for the game” and says he wouldn’t be the man that he is today without the influence of his coaches from Little League to the NFL. His coaches taught him to be consistent in his actions every day, and it is one of the biggest lessons he has carried with him throughout his career.

“I think that people hear the word ‘consistency’ and they hear you should work hard or grind in these cliché terms they use, but honestly it’s giving people a blueprint to be consistent,” Carter said. “In my short time that I’ve been coaching, I take it very seriously, and the players and the people I have a direct impact on can see my consistency and my willingness to go over and beyond to help other people.”

Even though Saturday’s game will be a big moment for Carter as a first-time head coach, he wants all eyes on the players.

“I’m excited more for the players than myself because they get a chance to play in a professional stadium,” said Carter, who played in the NFL from 2009-2016. “I’ve had my time playing in the NFL and have done a lot of cool things, but I think it’s more important for these kids to experience some of the things I’ve gotten to experience. I want to gear all the attention to the kids, the players, the university because they deserve it.”

2025 calendar of HBCU classics

All game times are listed in Eastern.

Aug. 30:
– 1 p.m.: Detroit Football Classic (Detroit) – Central State vs. Kentucky State
– 4 p.m.: Orange Blossom Classic (Miami Gardens, Florida) – Florida A&M vs. Howard
– 4:30 p.m.: John A. Merritt Classic (Nashville, Tennessee) – North Carolina A&T vs. Tennessee State
– 8 p.m.: Labor Day Classic (Houston) – Prairie View A&M vs. Texas Southern

Aug. 31:
– 4 p.m.: Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic (Canton, Ohio) – Virginia Union vs. Miles
– 7 p.m.: Red Tails Classic (Montgomery, Alabama) – Winston-Salem State vs. Tuskegee

Sept. 6:
– Noon: Eddie McGirt Classic (Charlotte, North Carolina) – Valdosta State vs. Johnson C. Smith
– 7 p.m.: Louis Crews Classic (Huntsville, Alabama) – Alcorn State vs. Alabama A&M

Sept. 13:
– 1 p.m.: HBCU NY Classic (East Rutherford, New Jersey) – Morehouse vs. Howard
– 3 p.m.: W.C. Gorden Classic (Jackson, Mississippi) – Tuskegee vs. Jackson State
– 4:30 p.m.: The Legacy Series (Nashville, Tennessee) – Alabama A&M vs. Tennessee State

Sept. 20:
– 1 p.m.: Down East Viking Classic (Rocky Mount, North Carolina) – Fayetteville State vs. Elizabeth City State
– 4 p.m.: Aggie-Eagle Classic (Greensboro, North Carolina) – North Carolina Central vs. North Carolina A&T
– 4 p.m.: Truth and Service Classic (Washington, D.C.) – Hampton vs. Howard

Sept. 27:
– 3 p.m : Circle City Classic (Indianapolis) – Morgan State vs. Miles
– 7 p.m.: BoomBox Classic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) – Jackson State vs. Southern
– 7 p.m.: State Fair Classic (Dallas) – Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M
– 7 p.m.: Southern Heritage Classic (Memphis, Tennessee) – Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Alcorn State

Oct. 4:
– 4 p.m.: Battle of the Bay (Hampton, Virginia) – Norfolk State vs. Hampton
– 5 p.m.: Gulf Coast Challenge (Mobile, Alabama) – Jackson State vs. Alabama A&M

Oct. 25:
– 3:30 p.m.: Magic City Classic (Birmingham, Alabama) – Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State
– 6 p.m.: Las Vegas HBCU Classic (Las Vegas) – Grambling State vs. Jackson State

Nov. 8:
– 2 p.m.: Fountain City Classic (Columbus, Georgia) – Fort Valley State vs. Albany State

Nov. 15:
– 5 p.m.: Port City Classic (Mobile, Alabama) – Alabama State vs. Mississippi Valley State

Nov. 22:
– 3:30 p.m.: Soul Bowl / Capital City Classic (Jackson, Mississippi) – Alcorn State vs. Jackson State
– 3:30 p.m.: Florida Blue Florida Classic (Orlando, Florida) – Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M

Nov. 27:
– 3 p.m.: Turkey Day Classic (Montgomery, Alabama) – Tuskegee vs. Alabama State

Nov. 29:
– 2 p.m.: Bayou Classic (New Orleans) – Southern vs. Grambling State

Dec. 13:
– Noon: Cricket Celebration Bowl (Atlanta) – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion vs. Southwestern Athletic Conference champion

Calandrea Carter, Ciara Latham and Raigan Lydon contributed to this report.