If Jimmy Carter played soccer: striker, rated 81

Jimmy Carter as a soccer player: scouting report

Jimmy Carter would lead the line as a hard working target forward, the kind of striker who measures his game by how much he does for others. For decades after leaving office he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, building houses with his own hands, and that is the work ethic of a center forward who presses every center back and chases every lost cause. His physical strength is the best part of his card. He holds the ball up, takes the knocks and keeps the attack alive until help arrives.

His background in Plains, Georgia, where he grew up working on the family peanut farm, explains the durability. His defending is right behind his strength, so he is the first line of the press, closing down goalkeepers and center backs and forcing long balls. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and served as a submarine officer, which suggests patience and calm under pressure. In front of goal that means a steady finisher who does not snatch at chances. His shooting is the modest part of his attacking game, but he puts away what a hard working forward should.

Pace is the weak spot. He will not stretch defenses with runs in behind, so pair him with a quick winger who can attack the space he opens. Center back is his next best spot, which fits his defending and strength, and goalkeeper is a respectable fallback. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for decades of work on mediation and humanitarian causes, so he is a natural team player. For a drafter, he is a selfless forward who makes his team better. Take him in the middle rounds for a direct team.

Plays like A hard working target forward who presses from the front

Put Jimmy Carter in your lineup

11 rolls, a starting eleven, 38 matches. Can you go 38-0? Free, no account.