A tense quiet enveloped the Coughlin family home on April 25th, 2020. Inside, an Eagle turned Gopher turned NFL hopeful pretended not to be too overly fixated on his phone. But the league’s first teleconference-only draft was in its seventh and final round, and the aspiring linebacker’s surrounding nearest and dearest could tell that their boy was distraught.
A ring.
An alien area code.
A nervous “Hello.”
Carter, this is Coach Joe Judge. How’d you like to be a Giant?
It was the culminating moment of a lifetime of hard work, big dreams, and not a small amount of good fortune. Carter’s father, grandfather and uncle had all been Gophers; his mother, a three-time All-Conference U of M tennis player. His physique is not of the sort a Viking would have liked to confront during an invasion of Ireland. And to top it all off, Carter’s hometown contains the greatest high school athletics programs on earth.
“I owe so much to Eden Prairie High School’s outstanding coaching staff,” said Carter. “Coach Grant, Coach O’Toole, and Coach Ritter pushed me and all the other boys to train and play our hearts out. And thanks to Coach Freese and Coach Reeder’s strength training, I was outlifting senior linebackers by the time I was a sophomore (not bragging; just a fact). If not for all their positivity and encouragement back then, I might not have dreamed I could actually go pro.
“I have all my friends and family to thank as well, of course, but I’d also like to give a shoutout to the real MVP: Sylvester Stallone, for making the Rocky movies I grew up on.
“What a night and day difference there is between Minnesota and North Jersey! Though to be honest, adjusting to life in the big city is probably much more fun when you’re a Giant. I got VIP access to classier places than this Midwestern boy had ever imagined existed. I met amazing people, both inside and outside the football world – first and foremost being Yossiana Coughlin (née Pressley), whose achievements as a five-time AVCA All-American volley player absolutely trounce anything I could have bragged about as a Gopher, and who had the kindness to marry me in 2024. We had a son earlier this year!
“All that celebrity is destructive to some guys. I’m sure you can think of a few examples. Luckily, I had a lot to keep me grounded during my NFL career. I’d had the Minnesota Nice upbringing that teaches you to be genuine with everyone, and treat them like they’re special. I had Yossiana, who I met early on, and who has been like a light guiding me through the darkness ever since. But most important of all was my faith. Getting to know Jesus personally during my second year in the NFL really helped me strip away the remaining pride and arrogance that had been weighing me down.”
A tense quiet enveloped the Coughlin family home on September 8th, 2024. Their boy’s pectoral muscle, rotator cuff and shoulder labrum had been badly injured during the Giants’ first game of the season (against the Vikings, ironically enough), and his preceding injuries during his NFL career hadn’t done well to fortify him.
“That was the culminating injury,” said Carter, pensively. “The career-ender. Between that and the pain and all the rehab, it was not a great time for me. But the same things that kept me grounded while I was at my peak also uplifted me when I was at my low – and having the best hometown to return to certainly didn’t hurt.”
Carter resumed attending Grace Church, which he has belonged to his entire life. “My dad became a men’s pastor there shortly after selling his business and retiring,” said Carter. “He helped put together Rooted: Real & Ready – ‘a MAN-Up study for men who are done coasting, hungry to grow, and eager to live strong’ – which meets Fridays at 6:15am, and I love. I’m grateful to have had the honor of speaking before Grace Church’s annual Arise With the Guys event, as well as The Co., their youth ministry.”
Carter has also become that most hallowed of figures in the eyes of the Eden Prairie Lifestyle editorial team – someone worthy of far more reverence than most professional athletes will ever be.
“I’m a local business owner now!” said Carter. “My brother turned me on to an awesome opportunity to purchase a reputable business last year: Serv-A-Dock, which serves Lake Minnetonka, Lake Waconia, Christmas Lake, and all the other beautiful bodies of water I grew up around. I’m now spending my days outdoors building custom docks, getting our customers ready for the summer, shutting docks down for the winter, and installing top-of-the-line ShoreStation boat lifts. It’s tough work! But I’ll tell you, it’s still a lot better than having a Viking try to tunnel his whole helmet through your chest.”
Grace.church | ServADock.co