SMU law student tackles ambitious goals on and off the football field

Law school is more than a full-time commitment. For an ACC football player, so is the sport. Connor Carrera tackles both—and each endeavor sharpens the skills required by the other.

"My time is my most valuable resource," said Carrera, a second-year law student at Dedman School of Law and defensive back for the SMU Mustangs. "I have learned to approach each hour with intention, ensuring that every moment serves a clear purpose in advancing my goals in both the classroom and on the field."

Carrera's disciplined approach is paying off. In addition to playing his final year of eligibility as a defensive back for the Mustangs, he is a staff editor on the SMU Law Review and a Dean's List student who earned a 4.0 GPA in spring 2026.

He doesn’t take the opportunity for granted. When a fractured spine took him out of the game during his senior year at Allen High School, he thought his playing career had ended permanently. The dream, however, never disappeared.

He enrolled in the Mays Business Honors Program at Texas A&M University in 2022, pouring the energy he once gave to football into his education and completing two majors in three years. He continued to follow the game, but only as a fan.

When Carrera arrived at Dedman Law in 2025, he knew his first year would require his full attention. He committed himself to his coursework while maintaining a rigorous physical training program as a counterbalance to the demands of law school.

By the beginning of his second year, Carrera had established himself academically and remained physically prepared. With NCAA eligibility rules in the headlines, he realized the possibility of playing again would end after this season.

"I knew I would carry a lifelong regret if I did not at least make the attempt to play football once again," Carrera said.

He pursued a walk-on opportunity with the Mustangs and earned a place on the team.

Law school prepares Carrera for game-day pressure

Football taught Carrera to respect preparation and use time deliberately. He applies that same seriousness to every legal reading and study session. Law school, meanwhile, has taught him to analyze situations from several angles and consider the larger institutional and economic forces shaping modern college athletics.

That perspective, he said, helps him serve as a mature presence in the locker room.

"Competing in an academic environment as demanding as law school, where performance is measured against some of the most capable students in the country, has prepared me to remain composed when the stakes are highest," he said. "The pressure of game day feels familiar precisely because I navigate high-stakes evaluation every day."

Building a future in energy law

Growing up in Texas, he saw the influence of the energy industry on the state's economy and communities. His first meaningful exposure to energy law came through family friend John Childers, a partner at Childers Hewett Slagle, who invited Carrera to clerk at the firm during the summer before law school.

The experience confirmed his interest. In summer 2026, Carrera worked in the Energy and Infrastructure practice group at Hunton Andrews Kurth's Dallas office.

He was drawn to the breadth of the field, which touches nearly every part of society and involves a wide range of transactions and legal questions. Carrera believes his experience as a student-athlete at SMU can prepare him for the kind of career he plans to pursue in energy law.

"Ultimately, I hope to build a career distinguished by leadership in both the legal profession and my community, with the long-term goal of leading a company or law firm as a senior executive," he said.

For now, those worlds meet in the tightly ordered hours of each day: football before sunrise, law school through the afternoon, then film study, class preparation and time with the people closest to him.

“I would tell my younger self to keep trusting God, even when the path isn’t clear.," he said. "My faith in Christ has carried me through every season, and I’ve learned that His timing is always better than mine. I’m wearing an SMU uniform and preparing for a career in law, two things I once thought I’d have to choose between. I give Him the glory for every step, and I don’t take a single day for granted.”