There's more to Andre Carter than meets the eye.

And plenty meets the eye. He's not all that far removed from an NFL career in which he registered 80.5 career sacks, and just by looking at him, you'd like his chances to suit up on Sundays this fall and get a sack or two off the edge.

But Carter matches physical prowess with mental acuity. He's sharp, energetic, and curious – a language-learning pianist who studied Taekwondo in childhood and listens to stand-up comedy on long road trips.

At his core, though, he's all football, which is why he chose coaching over retirement. He loves the game, and he loves the players.

We talk the Tigers' deep defensive line, his coaching philosophy, his many interests outside of football, and more.