And I chose to stay with him.". That's why he expects his players to succeed in the classroom. Running back coach Alonzo Carter told ABC News he went on tour with MC Hammer from 1989 to 1993 with his group, Ho Frat Ho! He actually toured with the guy in the 1990’s so you KNOW he can move. College football coach busts out his incredible MC Hammer dance moves - 27 years after he was the rapper's lead dancer Alonzo Carter, San Jose State University football coach, showed off … "So we became his permanent dancers. McKinley signed with Cal while in high school, but after being told he was an academic nonqualifier, he went to play for Carter at Contra Costa. He even treated them to Hammer's iconic shuffle dance move. The video recently went viral again after MC Hammer stopped by San Jose State's football game against University of South Florida on Aug. 26 to surprise Carter. Before he became a football coach, Carter was a backup dancer and choreographer for MC Hammer. In 2017, Zo became an internet sensation when a video of him dancing to Can't Touch This by MC Hammer was posted to Twitter. The … "I’m living a dream right now," he added. Carter spent the next three years touring the world as part of Hammer's entourage. Carter said. It was, do I go back to college or do I stay on tour with Hammer? He's still got it. In the following two-plus decades, Carter became one of the most well-known high school football coaches in the East Bay. "It’s a stressful business as it is, but you want to try to have some fun and I’m blessed to be working with a great coaching staff that allows us to express ourselves through music and dance. MC Hammer even took the group, including Carter, with him when he performed on “The Arsenio Hall Show” back then. When the rapper's "U Can't Touch This" began playing after a scrimmage in April, Carter busted a move. "Coach Brennan has this big grin on his face and he makes the hand gesture like, 'Come on!'" "I was so proud of him," Brennan said. "He was doing stuff way ahead of his time. Today’s East Bay Express tells the story of Alonzo Carter, McClymond High School’s football coach, known for his players’ success on and off the field. '", Can't Touch This!! "Next thing you know, it's 'U Can't Touch This,'" Carter said. Former MC Hammer Dancer Busts Out Old Moves Because He’s Too Legit To Quit. The year was 1992, and at the time, Carter was 25 years old and had just ended his career as the lead dancer and head choreographer for Oakland’s MC Hammer, … Before he decided to get into coaching, San Jose State running backs coach Alonzo Carter had perhaps the most interesting prior job in major college football. Alonzo Carter is the running backs coach for San Jose State University’s football team. Carter once gave up football to tour as a dancer with MC Hammer. Watch this coach get down to 'U Can't Touch This.'. San Jose State assistant Alonzo Carter stopped practice to show off his moves to his players. And although his players didn't know it, head coach Brent Brennan was aware. | Courtesy San Jose State Athletics. "It's always a real pleasure having him around.". Carter was the lead dancer and head choreographer for MC Hammer in the 1990s. 2 QB? After all, … Carter said it's a nice feeling having his dance moves go viral not one, but twice. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Carter, an Oakland native, used to be the lead dancer and head choreographer for MC Hammer. It's still prominent.". I used to have all these parties, and Tupac used to hang out at my house.". "It just naturally came," Carter said. Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit” hit Nos. Carter was awarded a multi-platinum record signifying at least 10 million albums sold for "Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em." "He was an up-and-coming coach and I kind of showed him the whole area, the whole East Bay," Carter said. Which college football coaches improved their stock the most in 2020? Coach Alonzo Carter tasted fame as a dancer for MC Hammer. He starred in and trained the dancers for the iconic “U … Carter said. Alonzo Carter, the running back coach at San Jose State University, decided to entertain his players with his sweet dance skills. "Hammer was the man, you know?" I had to make a choice. San Jose State University Coach Alonzo Carter was a dancer for MC Hammer from 1989 to 1993. I've seen him be such a good man for young people. They had formed a dance group that combined hip-hop dancing with fraternity stepping and choreographed a dance they knew would impress Hammer. Saturday, October 21, 2017 SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Jose State's #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/a0pouTYL6c. The two became fast friends and grew so close that when Carter got married, in a ceremony officiated by MC Hammer, Brennan was in attendance. While Carter accomplished a lot in coaching, there was something that held him back. Running back coach Alonzo Carter showed off his impressive footwork when he broke it down to MC Hammer’s hit “U Can’t Touch This” in front of the team huddle. The decision brought him back to his alma mater, McClymonds High School in Oakland, where he volunteered to coach track and football. Brennan knew Carter was interested in rising in the coaching ranks and encouraged him to go back and finish. "Along with all the other responsibilities he had, it was amazing he was able to get it done.". In June, nearly three decades after he left, Carter graduated from Cal State East Bay. "So Hammer was all, 'Y'all want to be in the video?'" ", Meet the coach who gave MC Hammer his best dance moves. Did you know San Jose State Spartans RB coach Alonzo Carter was part of MC Hammer's dance team back in the 1980s and early 1990s? "It's a whole routine. Texas Youth Football Coach Busts a Move on the Field, Boy Who Couldn't Afford Football Equipment for Tryouts Gets Surprise From Stranger. We choreographed that routine over 25 years ago, and it's still strong. Kiper's first mock draft for 2021: Will Justin Fields or Zach Wilson be the No. You hadn't seen a guy who could rap and dance like that.". San Jose State University Coach Alonzo Carter was a dancer for MC Hammer from 1989 to 1993. He put me on front street. At Cal State Hayward, he and a group of friends answered an audition call, became backup dancers and rap artists, and toured extensively with iconic hip-hop musician MC Hammer. When the rapper's "U Can't Touch This" began playing after a scrimmage in April, Carter busted a move. Without a degree, he was not eligible for Division I assistant-coaching jobs. San Jose State running backs coach Alonzo Carter, who performed with MC Hammer early in his career, poses with one of his platinum records. All it took was 30 seconds. Takkarist McKinley, the Atlanta Falcons' first-round draft pick this year, is the most recent success story. Posted by … If Brennan had gotten a head-coaching job in another region of the country, he still would have pitched Carter on joining him, but in the Bay Area, where his connections run deep, Carter was even more valuable. Alonzo Carter was in reality a backup dancer for MC Hammer back in the day. At first, Carter thought it would just be for the summer and he would be back in time to play his final season of college football, but Hammer's popularity started to soar. The timing couldn't have been much better. They performed at the Grammys, the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Movie Awards as well as on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and Carter crossed paths with some of the biggest names in pop culture at the time. Initially, Carter said he was "caught off guard," but a now viral video shows he busted out those 90s dance moves to the delight of his players. The video of Carter, the Spartans' first-year running backs coach, dancing to MC Hammer's classic 1990 song became a viral sensation -- and the team's players, none of whom had been born yet when the song became a pop-culture phenomenon, went wild. Soon the kid from West Oakland was seeing the world. ... when MC Hammer signed his major record deal with Capitol Records, he chose Carter. San Jose State University Coach Alonzo Carter was a dancer for MC Hammer from 1989 to 1993. Big Ten football schedule 2021: Dates and key matchups, Takk's great escape: A pass-rusher's remarkable path to the NFL. Preseason SP+ projections: Ranking all 130 FBS teams, Ex-Clemson LB Jones announces transfer to LSU, Notre Dame, Florida schedule 2031-32 series, UCF hires Arkansas State's Mohajir to be next AD, WSU QB de Laura suspended after DUI arrest, Iowa St. extends Campbell's deal through 2028, Maryland LB Campbell transferring to Ole Miss, Brown, No. Carter was a backup dancer and lead trainer for MC Hammer and, according to the coach, a choreographer for "U Can't Touch This." It was a day for MC Hammer, not white supremacists. Brennan and Carter became acquainted during Brennan's time recruiting in the Bay Area. Carter recalls seeing his head coach whisper something to another member of the coaching staff, who went over to the deejay after the scrimmage back in April. "It was a blessing to have him there," he recalled. Now, his coaching future looks bright as he's gained national attention. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? But his career was short-lived, like those of many athletes. Coach Carter gained notoriety through his recruiting skills, some of the best in the country, and, of course, through his MC Hammer dance moves. "Everything about him is what these kids need. He wasn't even a lead artist," Carter said, referring to the Oakland-based hip-hop artist. Hammer then invited Carter and his friends to go on tour with him. "Yeah, but it absolutely wouldn't have mattered where," Brennan said. — -- The football team at San Jose State University had no idea one of their coaches used to be a background dancer for MC Hammer -- until the famed 90s rapper's song blasted on the field during a scrimmage. Former first-round pick and Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha trained with Carter before the draft. And when he was invited to the draft in Philadelphia, Carter was one of the people McKinley invited to come with him. Alonzo Carter insists he didn't know what was coming when San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan smiled in Carter's direction at a recent Spartans spring practice. Alonzo Carter busts out some old dance moves after spring prac... Did you know San Jose State Spartans RB coach Alonzo Carter was part of MC Hammer's dance team back in … Carter and his friends were prepared for the audition. He was in a dance club at Cal State, Hayward and started following Hammer around to his shows. But when the song came on, Carter knew exactly what to do. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters was a ball boy for Carter. 3 RB in '22, commits to Oklahoma, McShay's new NFL mock draft: Playmakers galore, early QB picks ... and two trades. "I was like, 'Aw, man. Alonzo "Zo" Carter, an assistant football coach in California, performs to "U Can't Touch This" when team learns he danced with MC Hammer. I wanted that in our program. No one has done a better job than Zo. Alonzo Carter went from being a backup dancer for MC Hammer to a football coach. National signing day reaction: Michigan, USC among college football winners in February, Penn State claims Super Bowl "successes" on Twitter and gets dragged by other schools. 8 and 5, respectively, on the Billboard charts. By Andy Campbell. At the time, Hammer had not yet broken through as a mainstream success, but he was well-known in the Oakland music scene. Most recently, he was the head coach at juco Contra Costa College. When the rapper's "U Can't Touch This" began playing after a scrimmage in April, Carter … In fact, he helped create them. Before he became a football coach, San Jose resident Alonzo “Zo” Carter was a backup dancer and choreographer for MC Hammer. "Tupac used to come over to my house in Hayward [a city in the San Francisco Bay Area]. In hindsight, Carter says the seeds of his coaching career were planted during his time on the road, where it was his job to make sure all the dancers remained in good enough shape to regularly perform their taxing three-hour shows. "Before and after practice, Coach Brennan loves to have music playing," Carter told ABC News. Now, Hammer Time! Before his career in coaching, Carter was a dancer. There are hundreds of kids' lives he has positively impacted. But in his previous career, Carter was a member of MC Hammer’s crew and danced with him on tour. San Jose State University Coach Alonzo Carter was a dancer for MC Hammer from 1989 to 1993. Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch and Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen trained with Carter at Cal summer camps. San Jose State football coach Alonzo Carter proved he hasn't forgotten his past. San Jose State University coach Alonzo Carter used to dance for Hammer. The dance moves come easily to him. Carter estimates he has sent more than 100 former players on to the Division I level, and he has had a hand in the development of many current and former NFL players. Carter was awarded a multi-platinum record signifying at least 10 million albums sold for "Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em." Carter was a dancer and choreographer for MC Hammer in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Football and dancing have long been a part of Carter's life, and it was by chance that he pursued dancing professionally. Alonzo Carter is now a football coach. ... Alonzo and Roezell Carter … When the rapper's "U Can't Touch This" began playing after a … Carter said. Six months later, Brennan was named the head coach at San Jose State and added Carter to his staff. Carter, a longtime East Bay high school coach in his first year at SJSU, is also Hammer’s former lead dancer and toured with him in the early 1990s. Which college football teams are recruiting the best at each position on offense in 2021? In the spring of 1989, when Carter was in between his junior and senior football seasons at Hayward State (now known as Cal State East Bay), he and some friends decided to respond to a call to audition to appear in a music video for Hammer's song "Let's Get It Started." After leaving college to go on tour with Hammer, he never returned to finish his studies. Alonzo Carter's sweet moves have attracted the attention of one of the world's most affable television dancers: Ellen DeGeneres. But he eventually decided that dancing wasn't a viable long-term career option, and he returned to Oakland to figure out his next move. A look at coach Carter’s resume will show that in his younger days, he was a backup dance for MC Hammer during his prime. San Jose State assistant Alonzo Carter couldn't help himself when MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" came on. After one season, McKinley was off to UCLA, where he developed into one of the Pac-12's best pass-rushers. "On that particular day, it was a scrimmage, and we had a live DJ.". "We went on Arsenio Hall [his talk show] and did so well that we recorded and did his next video, and it blew up," Carter said. "Tupac was a roadie with Digital Underground at the time. Carter accompanied MC Hammer on all […] @RealCoachCarter with the moves from his days being on tour with @MCHammer ! Which teams are recruiting the best at each defensive position in 2021? At Cal State Hayward, he and a group of friends answered an audition call, became backup dancers and rap artists, and toured extensively with iconic hip-hop musician MC Hammer. If it looks as if Carter has pulled out these moves before, it's because he has.