By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – For the past five years, Steve and Lori Klein have planned their fall weekends around one thing – watching their son play football.
Home or away, the Pleasanton couple hasn’t missed a single game since Carter joined the University of Nebraska at Kearney program in 2022.
This weekend will be no different.
They’ll be in their usual tailgate spots – Nos. 192 and 193 near the Mantor and Randall residence halls – surrounded by a large group of family members, friends and fellow Loper fans. There will be food, plenty of blue and gold and the familiar excitement that comes with game day.
And when the players walk past on their way into Cope Stadium, the Kleins will be there to cheer them on.
“We’re big family people, and supporting each other is important to us,” Steve said. “We’re so proud of him, honestly. That’s one way we show how proud we are. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing four snaps or you’re playing 40 snaps, we’re there for you. We want him to be able to turn around and look into the crowd and know that we have his back.”
Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup against rival Fort Hays State will be especially meaningful.
It’s Carter’s final home game as a Loper, a bittersweet milestone for a family that’s experienced every high and low together.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Steve said. “Honestly, I can’t even put a value on it, just how much it means to us and our family to be able to travel down this same journey with him.”
FAMILY TRADITION
Long before Carter put on a Loper football uniform, athletics had already created some special connections for his family.
Steve grew up in Pleasanton, where he played eight-man football on the same field Carter would later compete on.
Lori, a Grand Island native, played volleyball at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her father and brother were both part of the men’s basketball team at Kearney State College.
The next generation followed a similar path.
The Kleins’ oldest son, Brady, graduated from UNK in 2024 with a degree in psychobiology. Their youngest, Cade, is currently studying psychology at UNK.
Steve works on campus, too, serving as facilities and technology manager for the UNK College of Business and Technology.
Carter, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman, grew up attending campus events and watching Loper games. When it came time to choose a college, UNK offered something that schools farther from home couldn’t.
An opportunity to continue playing football without sacrificing the family support that had been a constant throughout his life.
“My parents have never missed one of my sports games in my life,” Carter said. “Had I gone somewhere else, I don’t know how possible that would have been for them.”
The Class D2 all-state selection attracted interest from schools across the country, including programs on the East Coast. But the chance to play NCAA Division II football just a short drive from his hometown was too good to pass up.
He committed to UNK under former head coach Josh Lynn, joining a program that was coming off a Division II playoff appearance in 2021.
For his parents, the decision was a blessing.
“It’s been amazing,” Lori said. “Had he gone far away, I don’t know how easy it would have been to get there. I think we would have figured it out, but I’m very thankful we didn’t have to. To have him here, to have him close by and to get this opportunity, it’s amazing as a parent. It’s an honor.”
Carter is equally grateful for the opportunity to share his college football experience with the people who have cheered him on since childhood.
“It’s awesome because I can look up into the stands and see the people who have continued to support me throughout my whole career and know that I’m making them proud,” he said. “Coming from a smaller community, not a ton of kids get the opportunity to do this at this level, so it’s really just a special feeling.”
EARNING HIS PLACE
Carter’s path from eight-man football in Pleasanton to becoming one of the top offensive linemen in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association hasn’t been easy.
In fact, there was a time when he wondered whether his college career would ever get started.
During the 2022 Sertoma Eight-Man All-Star Game, shortly after graduating from high school, Carter suffered a devastating injury when another player rolled into his leg on the second offensive play. He broke his tibia and fibula, requiring three surgeries and an extended rehabilitation process.
But his parents knew he wouldn’t let the setback define his future.
“All you have to do is challenge Carter and he’ll prove you wrong 99 out of 100 times,” Steve said. “That’s just the way he’s wired and that’s his mentality.”
Carter redshirted during his first season at UNK and didn’t take his first collegiate snaps until spring practice in 2023. He appeared in seven games that fall before earning a starting role in 2024, when he moved from guard to center following an injury to a teammate.
The position wasn’t entirely new. Carter played both guard and center in high school, even learning to snap left-handed after breaking his right hand.
At UNK, he quickly embraced the added responsibility.
“It’s my favorite position by far because I get to make the IDs on who we’re going to block on a play,” he said. “I get to snap the ball, so at least I get to touch the ball. Most of the time when you’re an offensive lineman, you have one job, and that’s to block the guy in front of you.”
His performance has earned plenty of recognition.
Carter received honorable mention All-MIAA honors in 2024 and was a second-team all-conference selection last season. He’s also a two-time team captain, selected by his teammates, and a consistent presence on the MIAA academic honors lists.
UNK head coach Ryan Held believes Carter is the best player at his position in the conference.
“He’s developed into a really good player, an all-conference player. And he’s developed into a leader,” Held said. “He’s put in the work. He works hard in the weight room. He works hard off the field, in the classroom. He’s your ultimate student-athlete who has grinded from small-town Nebraska to being one of the top guys in the MIAA.”
That work ethic and commitment are exactly what Held wants to build his program around.
“When I took the job, I knew we had to start locally. I knew we needed Nebraska kids,” said Held, who took over the program in December 2022. “That has to be your core, your fabric, your DNA, because they have an infrastructure here within the state. You need those good, tough Nebraska guys.”
His center embodies those qualities.
“I would take a hundred Carter Kleins,” Held said.
Although the Lopers have struggled on the field this season, Held credits Carter and the other seniors for maintaining a positive team culture.
“They respect him. They know he works hard,” Held said of Carter’s teammates. “He lives by the standard of what we’re trying to get done here. He’s a good person. He cares about others and wants us to do well.”
More than any individual accolade, those bonds with his teammates became one of the most meaningful parts of Carter’s time at UNK. In many ways, they’re another family.
“Honestly, it’s the guys I’ve gotten to know,” Carter said. “A lot of us have been together since my freshman year. We haven’t had a bunch of guys leaving through the transfer portal every year, so we’ve had the chance to really get to know each other and build some close friendships. That’s been one of the best parts of playing here.”
ONE LAST TIME
As Carter’s football career winds down, the Klein family is preparing for a new chapter.
He’ll graduate from UNK in December with a bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution and a minor in supply chain management. An excellent student who was recognized as valedictorian at Pleasanton, Carter has maintained a GPA around 3.7 while balancing academics, athletics and a job at Kearney Winnelson.
He’s worked for the wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC and bathroom supplies since 2023 and plans to continue his career with the Winsupply Family of Companies after graduation.
But first, there are two games left.
The Lopers will close their season Nov. 14 at Central Missouri, giving Carter one final opportunity to wear the blue and gold after Saturday’s home finale.
Looking back, he can hardly believe how quickly the past five years have passed.
“It feels just like yesterday I was a freshman hanging out with my friends in the dorm,” he said. “Time goes fast.”
There have been moments this season when the reality of his approaching departure has been difficult to process.
“There’s been a couple times where it’s hit me really hard, like, dang, it’s coming to an end,” Carter said. “I don’t really know how to describe it other than you’re sad. But I’m happy for everything I’ve done for UNK and what I’ve done on the field. And I’m going to continue to do that for the last two games.”
His parents are experiencing many of those same emotions.
After five years of traveling across the region and sharing countless memories through UNK football, Steve and Lori aren’t quite ready for their son’s playing days to end.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do when this journey ends in a few weeks,” Steve said.
“It’s going to be boring,” Lori added.
They laugh about it, but the feelings are real.
Although Carter won’t be on the field next fall, his parents still plan to attend UNK home games and remain part of the football community that has become such an important part of their lives.
“We want to keep supporting the Lopers and being there on those home games because we know how much it means to those players,” Steve said. “When they can look into the stands and see a lot of people cheering for them, it gives them an added boost.”
As difficult as it will be to say goodbye to Carter’s playing days, Steve and Lori are excited about what lies ahead for their son.
“He’s going to do well no matter what path he goes down,” Lori said. “But this journey, to be part of it, it’s been amazing as parents. It’s an honor to have watched him go through it.”
On Saturday, they’ll make the familiar drive from Pleasanton to Kearney, settle into parking spots 192 and 193 and welcome another crowd of family members and friends.
They’ll cheer as the Lopers walk toward Cope Stadium, then head inside to watch Carter play on his home field one last time.
Whatever comes next, Carter knows one thing will never change.
“I’ll bleed blue until the day I die,” he said.
