Imagine the lightbulb shining bright above his head: He wanted to play football again.

“Last year I was watching a home game and we were losing,” Hewitt, a South Hamilton senior, said. “I was in the stands and I really felt like I wanted to be out there helping the team. That night I decided I was going to go out, so I talked to coach (Corey Klemp) about it and he was all for it. I’m so glad I did it.”

Cut to Wednesday afternoon inside the South Hamilton High School gymnasium. With just nine varsity football games under his belt, Hewitt sat surrounded by his family and signed his letter of intent to play college football at UNI.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder accepted the Panthers’ scholarship over several other tantalizing offers. Central Michigan also offered a scholarship. Iowa wanted Hewitt to join its program as a preferred walk-on. He also had conversations with North Dakota State, South Dakota and Princeton, among others.

Carter Hewitt makes it official, as he signs his letter of intent to play football at UNI on Wednesday in Jewell. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

And one word kept escaping Hewitt’s mouth as he sat at the center of the spectacle: Crazy.

“I didn’t even know that I was going to be playing a year ago, so it’s so crazy how my whole life changed in one season,” he said. “It’s just crazy how fast it all changed.”

Hewitt gave up football following the eighth grade and focused his energy on basketball and baseball. He’s always been big — bigger than pretty much every teammate and opponent — but football wasn’t on his radar for the longest time.

But after his lightbulb moment and conversation with Klemp, he dedicated himself to his return to the gridiron. His once long and lanky frame transformed seemingly overnight.

“I put in a ton of time, especially right when (the coronavirus) really hit and everything got shut down,” Hewitt said. “I gained a ton of muscle and I got a lot stronger, and that helped a ton in football.”

Carter Hewitt receives a high-five from South Hamilton head football coach Corey Klemp following his signing. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

A tight end and defensive end for the 8-1 Hawks this fall, Hewitt stood out on game film. Quick and athletic, college coaches began to show interest midway through the season and his recruitment took off.

“About four weeks into the season, I started posting my highlights on Twitter and coaches started to follow me and talk to me,” Hewitt said. “I thought it was insane. And then I got an offer and that was one of the best feelings of my life to know that a coach believed in me that much.”

College coaches no doubt saw the potential — a hunk of clay that they can mold, so to speak. And while some Division II colleges told Hewitt he would have the option of playing defensive end or tight end at the next level, the larger colleges all saw one thing — a prototypical offensive lineman.

“All the (Division I) schools wanted me as an offensive tackle because of my frame,” Hewitt said. “At UNI, I just had a really good connection with all of the coaches. I love coach (Mark) Farley. He’s going to push me to become the best football player I can be.”

Hewitt, who is likely to take a redshirt season next fall as he transitions to the offensive line, made 221⁄2 tackles, including 91⁄2 tackles for loss and six sacks, for South Hamilton this fall. He also had a touchdown catch and was a key blocker for one of the premier rushing attacks in Class 1A.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Most importantly, Hewitt developed a passion for football, one he didn’t even know that was missing from his life.

“It was so much fun just getting out there and being physical,” he said. “I’ve always held myself back in sports because I didn’t want to hurt anyone or foul anyone in basketball, but in football I didn’t have to do that.”

DFJ photo/Troy Banning