Linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. tackles running back Ezekiel Elliot during the Terps’ 49-28 loss to No. 1 Ohio State on Oct. 10, 2015.

Jermaine Carter Sr. heard it all the time. Whenever he was feeling down, his father would offer a quick reminder: “Carters never quit. Carters got pride.”

The message stuck as he grew older and raised his own family, and he made sure to impart the phrase to his children: Taevon Williams, Jevon Carter, Jalen Carter, Jordan Carter and Terrapins football linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr.

In the wake of coach Randy Edsall’s firing Oct. 11, defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski asked a number of players to speak to the defense. Times were tough for the 2-4 Terps. But with six games left, he didn’t want anyone to quit.

One by one, the seniors rose and spoke their minds. But Dudzinski also called on his sophomore middle linebacker: Carter. 

Throughout the season, teammates and coaches have commended Carter’s presence, calling him the leader of the defense. Maintaining order amid adversity is nothing new for the Fort Washington native, though. It’s what he’s been taught his whole life.

“Jermaine has that innate ability to lead,” Dudzinski said. “He’s not a big talker, but he’ll speak up when he needs to. It’s the way he plays the game, I think, [that] gains the respect of the guys around him.”

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Cole Farrand was a fixture at middle linebacker the past couple years. He would shout orders to his teammates, flying to ball carriers with his long hair flowing out the back of his helmet.

Dudzinski said Carter isn’t as animated as his predecessor, but he leads with his play. Linebacker Avery Thompson used cliches when talking about his teammate, saying Carter is “the quarterback of the defense” and that he’s “stepped up this year.”

Thompson reeled off the compliments with conviction, though, placing emphasis on key words.  

“He’s doing a great job. Really.” Thompson said.

The leadership has been crucial for a linebacking corps that’s been burdened by injuries. Two starting outside linebackers — Abner Logan and Jefferson Ashiru — are out for the season.

Carter and Logan were staples of the second-team defense last season and were excited to start together in 2015. But when Logan suffered an ACL injury in August, Carter’s motivation didn’t waver.

He’s second in the Big Ten with 40 solo tackles and has been a key part of the Terps’ improved rush defense in recent games. The team held star Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is averaging 141 yards per game, to 106 yards in the Buckeyes’ 49-28 win Oct. 10.

Carter said the Terps defense missed Farrand’s vocal leadership early on. So leading up to the Oct. 3 tilt against Michigan, he started to assert himself more.

“I told ’em like, ‘We need to start hitting the scout team a little more,’” Carter said. “We need to hit the guys, and it’s going to translate onto the field.”

The Terps lost the contest, 28-0, but the defense held then-No. 22 Michigan to two field goals in the first half. Eventually, the Terps’ offensive woes allowed the Wolverines to take a big lead, but Carter was pleased with the defensive effort early on.

At the midpoint of the season, the Terps sit in the cellar of the Big Ten standings. They’ve endured a midseason coaching change and weekly questions surrounding their quarterbacks.

Through it all, though, Carter’s patrolled the defense amidst controversy and emerged as the group’s backbone.

The Terps’ schedule doesn’t get any easier, with a host of talent-laden conference powers looming. But Carter isn’t backing down from the challenge.

Jermaine Carter Sr. didn’t raise him that way.

“I try not to quit, whatever I’m doing,” Carter said. “I take pride in everything I’m doing.”