After an outcry over the future of star Army linebacker Andre Carter II, politicians scrambled to alter the language of a recently passed congressional bill that clears his path to the upcoming NFL draft.
New language formally filed Tuesday morning in a piece of end-of-year legislation will restore the opportunity for Carter and other current academy upperclassmen at Army, Navy and Air Force to defer military service to pursue professional sports.
A provision has been included in the omnibus appropriations measure, expected to pass this week, to make Carter and other current academy upperclassmen eligible for a waiver that will allow for a legacy exception for a 2019 ruling that allowed deferred service to play pro sports.