Full-court commitment — Aggie gives his faith his highest priority

LOGAN — Since arriving on the campus of Utah State University in August 2004 following an LDS Church mission, Jaycee Carroll has been an elders quorum president, a ward clerk, a ward missionary and a Sunday School teacher. He's also majoring in Spanish teaching, working toward applying for graduate school and was married in the Logan Temple last year.

And he's managed to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the school's basketball program.

For those who know Carroll through his association with the Logan Institute of Religion, the 24-year-old from Evanston, Wyo., is defined by much more than the 2,281 points he's scored in an Aggie uniform. It was his play as a freshman that first earned him notoriety in this loyal Aggie-blue town. But up here, Carroll has become known as much for service as he has for shooting — someone who's committed to the responsibilities of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the most prominent athlete in Cache Valley.

"He looks for ways to have a positive influence on people around him," said Corey Killpack, an instructor at the Logan institute who has taught Carroll. "That's a very selfless kind of person that I think is pretty rare in society today."

Carroll's numbers at Utah State are not only rare, they're unprecedented.

With 13:35 left to play in the first half against Idaho on Jan. 19, the senior guard hit a 3-pointer that made him the program's all-time leading scorer, passing Greg Grant's record of 2,127 points set in 1986. Carroll holds several other school records, including total minutes played.

But according to two of Carroll's instructors at the Logan institute, it's hard to tell off the court that he's such an accomplished athlete.

"He's not a regular guy, but he is a regular guy," said Wayne Henderson, who taught Carroll as a freshman. "He doesn't put himself above or beyond anyone just because he is the star athlete at Utah State University."

While Henderson has been a friend to Carroll since the two met in 2004, he acknowledges that "everybody's got a Jaycee story." The fifth-year instructor, who is also a stake president, says Carroll is always willing to give time to others and goes about serving in a quiet manner.

Killpack has a "Jaycee story" that involves his then-7-year-old son, who met Carroll following a preseason scrimmage autograph session and was given an unexpected invitation by the basketball star.