For most out-of-state players coming to West Virginia, there is an adjustment period, transitioning to an unfamiliar place. For WVU linebacker Reid Carrico, the transition was easier than most others, as his family ties helped him feel right at home.
It's not uncommon for a player to come to WVU and have little clue about the state of West Virginia, but that's not the case for Carrico. Carrico's father and grandmother were both born in West Virginia, and if you ask Carrico where he's from, he'll say Ohio, but say his identity is shaped around West Virginia.
"I'm from Ohio on paper, but I probably relate a little bit more to Kentucky or West Virginia," Carrico said.
Last season was Carrico's first at West Virginia, playing in 12 games for the Mountaineers. As the season wore on, Carrico got more and more comfortable. Through WVU's first four games last season, Carrico combined for 12 total tackles. In WVU's last four, he combined for 31 total tackles.
The growth for Carrico was partly due to him feeling more at home and more adjusted to WVU.
"I definitely have gotten along, like, more comfortable here with the people in West Virginia and that sort of thing. Like, my dad was born in West Virginia, my grandma was born in West Virginia. I got family roots here, and, you know, from that perspective, like, it's been awesome. Actually, just to kind of give you an example, my grandma was born in Williamson, West Virginia, in a coal mine camp, so the roots were always there. It just kind of took me a while to figure them out," Carrico said.
The adjustment wasn't hard on Carrico, leaving Ohio State prior to last season as he became a Mountaineer.
"I wouldn't say that it was hard on me, no, because, you know, even though I had a ton of friends there and it was only two hours down the road from my actual hometown," Carrico said.
Carrico because he left before last season and then his former school won the National Championship, it adds a weird dynamic, but he's happier for his friends who were able to get that accomplishment.
"I'd say it is a little bit weird just from the perspective of putting in three years there, and then the year that you leave, they win the national championship, but at the same time, I got so many friends that are there and that sort of thing, and to see them actually go and do it, even though I wasn't there, like, that was still awesome to see, so super happy for those guys," Carrico said.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE todayto stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe
