No matter how far Ransom athletes go, their ties to RE will forever remain strong. Nick Lampert ’21 and Caleb Carlson ’22 are some of RE’s recent graduates who have taken their talents on the football field to the collegiate level. Each left a lasting legacy at RE, and their stories and successes serve as an inspiration to our current and future athletes. I interviewed Lampert and Carlson, who left our campus for Duke and Wake Forest respectively, to hear how what they learned here still benefits them today. 

Nick Lampert, also known as “Lampy” to Coach Jake Caron, was not always a superstar on the field. He spent his first years in high school on the basketball team. But then, following a short-lived basketball career and eventual transition to football, Coach Caron said Lampy was “explosive, aggressive, quick and most of all not afraid.”  

While Lampert was playing basketball, Coach Caron saw limitless potential in him as he was unhindered by injuries, unlike many high school athletes. Coach Caron encouraged him to join the football team. Lampert, being “open-minded,” as Coach Caron characterized him, hopped on the train and burst out onto the scene in his junior and senior years, excelling for RE as a star wide receiver.  

In Lampert’s senior season, cut short due to Covid-19, he averaged 129 yards per game, gaining some attention from very prestigious schools, such as Duke, where he currently attends and plays wide receiver for the Blue Devils. In his sophomore year at Duke, Lampert is getting playtime for a reputable ACC squad. As a testament to Lampert’s hard work and dedication, he reeled in his first collegiate reception, which was a big moment not just for him but also for RE’s football program. 

The next athlete had a different road to success. The beginning of Caleb Carlson’s journey with RE wasn’t exactly perfect. Throughout his freshman year, Coach Caron considered Carlson “un-coachable.” But Carlson wouldn’t let his freshman year determine who he would become as a member of the football team.  

Over the next 3 years, Carlson changed gears and became a kicking machine. Carlson was announced on the Kornblue Kicking Fab-50 list in January 2022 as a 5-Star kicker, and was ranked 11th in the nation at the position.  

During Carlson’s time at RE, he made 38 of 40 extra points and six of eight field goals—including a 47-yarder—as a senior. Carlson received the special teams award from the Florida Independent Football Conference in 2020. Carlson was not only a historic RE athlete for his kicking ability, but also the school record holder in the 300m hurdles with a time of 40.62. He now ranks third in RE history with a javelin toss of 103’. That’s not all, though. Carlson also played a role on RE’s historic state finalist soccer team.  

In August of 2021, Carlson’s hard work and dedication to football paid off with a commitment to Wake Forest. Carlson looks forward to getting more “time on the field next year” as he enters his sophomore season. This freshman year for Carlson was vital for him to grow and become more acclimated to the college football scene.  

“There’s nothing like running out of the tunnel before the game,” he said—hearing the band playing while thousands of fans are cheering him and the Deacs on.