Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Cade Carney and Wake Forest’s football team are heading toward the 2019 season with lots of momentum. The Deacons posted three straight winning seasons, going 7-6 in 2016, 8-5 in 2017 and 7-6 in 2018. They capped each season with bowl wins, beating Temple, Texas A&M and Memphis.

Carney is seen by coaches as a cornerstone as he approaches his senior season at running back. Five players were elected to serve as captains for the 2019 season. Coach Dave Clawson announced Carney, cornerback Essang Bassey, tight end Jack Freudenthal, offensive lineman Justin Herronand and linebacker Justin Strnad as captains. All are rising seniors. Carney is the only one who was a captain in 2018.

The Advance product and older brother of budding star Tate Carney, a rising sophomore at Davie, runs as if he wants to tackle somebody. As a junior, Cade was Wake’s top rusher with 1,005 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and becoming the first Demon Deacon with 1,000-plus yards since Chris Barclay in 2005. He is just the ninth Deacon in school history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a season.

But what makes Carney all the more special is having leadership ability that can’t be taught. He’s the consummate role model. At the annual ACC Kickoff Media Days last week, a reporter asked Carney:

“I can’t help but notice how comfortable you look underneath the lights, up on stage, at the podium. That comfort seems like it translates over onto game day. Where’s this level of ease or comfort come from?”

Carney said: “I put my trust in Jesus Christ and I believe in who God says I am. That’s where my ease and my peace of mind come from and the ability to get up here and not be shaking. If I read an article that says I’m a terrible player and should never run the ball again or if I read an article that says I’m the best running back that Wake Forest has ever seen, I get to have the assurance of wherever I’m at to be even keel because God says that I’m a child of His, that I’m loved, that I’m important and that I’m valued. That’s where I rest at night, and at the end of the day I can believe in that opinion of me.”