He gave his team the lead over Buford but went viral for being Lil Wayne’s son

Playing Georgia’s No. 1 team in front of over 10,000 people — and on national television — would rattle a lot of high school football players.

But Dwayne Carter III knows how to handle a big stage.

Gainesville’s kicker, the son of Grammy award-winning rapper Lil Wayne, said he was calm right before Saturday’s nationally ranked matchup at Buford.

“At first, it was a lot to take in, but once we put the helmets on and I heard the music playing, some people actually recorded me,” Carter said. “I was dancing the whole time.”

Don’t let Carter’s musical inclination fool you. The senior is laser focused on his football career, and he showed it in the 39-19 loss to the Wolves.

Carter converted both of his field goal attempts from 25 and 35 yards out, helping Gainesville, at the time ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, build a 13-10 lead in the second half.

“I knew he could make the kick, but it was just about the moment, like, how he would be able to handle the pressure,” said Carter’s mom, Sarah Vivan. “But obviously, he handled it very well, so I was really proud.”

The news of Carter’s relation to Lil Wayne went viral after the game. National news outlets and sports talk shows highlighted Carter’s performance.

Carter is proud to carry his father’s name, but he’s also enjoying paving his own path on the field.

“I’m getting a lot of recognition that I haven’t got or that I haven’t had to this extent, but I’m really happy that people are seeing me for what I’ve been working on,” Carter said.

Carter also has recognition in the form of a college scholarship offer from Colorado. The kicker said other colleges have reached out since the game.

Carter grew up playing soccer (he played for North Atlanta last year) but always wanted to try football. Specifically, he wanted to play cornerback, but Vivan said he was “too smart to get hit in the head.”

Carter struck a deal with Vivan to start playing high school football: He could play, but only if he kicked.

“Even when he started playing, the coaches saw his footwork, you know, obviously, he gets from soccer, and they wanted him to be a (defensive back),” Vivan said. “I got several phone calls, like, ‘Hey, can he play?’

“Nope.”

Coaches eventually backed off, and Carter honed his craft as a kicker.

“A lot of times after I kick, like even when I was playing (junior varsity), whether it was a good kick or not, I kind of look at (Vivan) for reassurance,” Carter said. “If it’s a good kick, I look at her, she gives me a smile and a head nod. I feel good and ready for the next kick.

“If I miss, sometimes she tells me to breathe or asks me a question, so a lot of times, after I kick, I kind of just look for her, I guess, as a habit out of comfort.”

Like any good kicker, Carter has constructed a mental routine for field goal attempts. The Cincinnati native’s key to success is simple self-talk.

Carter said his calm on big stages partially comes from growing up around his father. Carter was often in the public eye before he understood what it was.

“As a kid, I’ll be honest, I didn’t think of it too much,” Carter said. “It’s weird. At first, when you don’t really understand the concept of having cameras on you a lot, it’s something weird to get used to.”

Carter leaned on the advice his mother offered when he was a kid.

“If I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, then whatever they put on camera is going to look good,” he said.

That same advice applied when Carter lined up for the field goal on national television last week.

“Going into my kicks, I think, ‘It’s just the same kick, and you work on it every day. You practice the same motion,’” Carter said. “You’ve done it in game. You’ve done it in practice. You’ve done it in front of a bunch of people. You’ve done it on your own camera, in front of other people’s cameras.”