Volunteers Linebacker Turns NFL Draft Setback Into $42,000 Charity Drive for Breast Cancer

Arion Carter, a senior defensive starter for the Tennessee Volunteers, is making his 2025 season debut against Georgia Tech on Sept. 12. The linebacker has announced a performance-based charity initiative that will see him donate fixed amounts for specific defensive plays throughout the remainder of the season. The donations will support the Nashville chapter of the Sisters Network, a national African American breast cancer survivorship organization, as well as local cancer treatment programs and medical expenses for his girlfriend, Mariah Bryant, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

The specific donation structure includes $427 for every tackle, $500 for every quarterback sack, $1,000 for every interception or forced fumble, and $5,000 for every defensive touchdown. The baseline figure of $427 per tackle carries a deeper meaning, referencing a financial dispute that briefly interrupted Carter’s collegiate eligibility. Following the 2025 season, Carter initially declared for the NFL draft but withdrew after aggravating a lingering foot injury that required corrective surgery. During his brief draft entry, he accepted an agent-funded flight valued at $427.

Carter severed ties with the representative and repaid the $427 in full in January. However, the transaction constituted an infraction under NCAA amateurism bylaws, leading to an initial two-game suspension that was reduced to one game on appeal. That penalty required Carter to sit out Tennessee’s Sept. 5 season-opening victory over Furman. He was fully cleared by the NCAA following the completion of the single-game suspension and has rejoined the active roster ahead of the non-conference meeting with Georgia Tech.

Projections published by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, based on Carter’s defensive output from the previous season, estimate that the cumulative donations could surpass $42,000 over the course of the schedule. Carter holds an estimated annual NIL valuation of $775,000, according to data from The NIL Standard. His philanthropic initiative reflects an expanding pattern of collegiate athletes leveraging their name, image, and likeness profiles for charitable contributions.

Carter’s per-play donation format is among the first of its kind in college football, though several high-profile athletes have directed NIL-derived revenue toward philanthropic organizations in recent years. Texas quarterback Arch Manning, whose NIL portfolio is valued at $6.8 million by The NIL Standard, raised and donated $102,500 to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Texas in 2023 through the auction of a one-of-a-kind Panini trading card. Former Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, now with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, contributed $30,000 in personal NIL proceeds to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital prior to entering the professional ranks.

Missouri linebacker Damon Wilson committed $10,000 to support youth sports leagues in Florida. Former Ohio State offensive lineman Harry Miller directed the entirety of his NIL earnings toward funding humanitarian aid and community infrastructure projects in Nicaragua. In remarks reported by Volquest, Carter stated that his senior campaign is dedicated to raising awareness, assisting with Bryant’s medical expenses, and establishing a long-term non-profit foundation to support families confronting similar healthcare crises. Carter cut his hair during the offseason in a public show of solidarity with Bryant following her diagnosis.