MUSKEGON – Back in 2016, Alex Carder was a young quarterback just finishing a great career at Western Michigan University, and he had the NFL on his mind.

He came to the brand-new West Michigan Ironmen to remain active in the sport – albeit a different variation of football – and keep himself in game shape while he shopped for other opportunities.

He did not consider himself an Ironmen lifer by any stretch of the imagination.

Seven years later, Carder is married with a small son, works full time in the health care industry and has put down roots with his family near Grand Rapids. His dreams of playing big-time pro football are well in the past.

But that does not mean he’s put football behind, by any stretch of the imagination.

Carder has continued his amazing run as the standout quarterback for the Ironmen. At the age of 33, he continues to dominate opposing defenses and run up even bigger-than-anticipated point totals.

A good example came in the Ironmen’s May 6 victory over the Ohio Blitz in a Great Lakes Arena Football league playoff semifinal game.

Carder completed 12 of 17 passes for 161 years and seven touchdowns in the Ironmen’s 66-12 victory.

The really impressive part is that the Ironmen had not played a game for a full month before the semifinals, and some of the players were a bit rusty in the first half. But Carder was as sharp as ever, which did not surprise Ironmen General Manager/Head Coach Nate Smith.

“Don’t give him too much time to prepare, because he will come out ready to roll,” Smith said. “That’s what happened.”

Now Carder is preparing to lead the Ironmen into Saturday night’s league championship game against the Southern Michigan Apex at 7 p.m. at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.

Despite having so much success over the years with the Ironmen, Carder has only played in two league championship games with the team, winning one and losing one.

The most recent was in 2018, when the Ironmen defeated the Midway Marauders 68-44 to win the Midwest Professional Indoor Football League championship.

There have been some seasons when the Ironmen were not in a league at all, or seasons like 2022, when they started out in a league that completely collapsed around them before any playoffs could be played.

Preparing to play for a league championship is a lot more fun, according to Carder.

“It’s really exciting,” he said. “We have a league that’s more solidified now, and we know we’re going to battle a team on Saturday that’s worth its salt. We’ve had some seasons where, the week of a game, something happens and the opponent can’t make it, so moving forward with this league is very exciting.

“I think the game is going to be hopping. I think the fans are really going to be into it.”

Playing for the love of the game

Carder says his continued participation with the Ironmen simply comes from his permanent love of football.

At one point he played with a passion to advance to higher pro leagues. Now he plays for the sake of playing and entertaining the fans of Muskegon that he’s grown to love over the years.

“I am so blessed to be able to live and work and have my family and still get to play,” said Carder, who lives with his wife and small son in Caledonia. “To continue to be able to play is something I am grateful for, and I am thankful for my role as someone who can help teach the game and spread the knowledge that I’ve gained.

“It’s been great to get to know so many of the fans that have been coming since the first year. It’s great to be able to build that kind of relationship with a group of people. Muskegon seems to change and grow more every single year. It’s exciting. I think the town has a lot of potential, and anything we can do to be part of that is great.”

Carder admits that it’s a bit more challenging to keep his body and skills in game shape as he gets older, but he’s a professional who prides himself on his performance, so he makes sure he’s ready.

“It’s our job as professionals to make sure our bodies and minds are ready,” he said. “When you’re in college everything is so regimented and you have no choice, but as a pro you have to take it upon yourself to make sure you are ready.

“I am getting older, and I have to work a little harder to get to the same level, but I would not want to put myself out there if I was not prepared physically.”

Coach Smith has watched Carder evolve from a young quarterback with really big dreams to a settled down family man who wants to keep making a big difference for the Ironmen.

He knows how lucky the Ironmen have been to have a QB with Carder’s talent and dedication leading the team every year, despite the continued challenges the franchise has encountered as it searched for a permanent, stable league to play in.

“He loves the game, loves the competition,” the coach said about Carder. ‘It’s great to see him remain active and compete in front of a city that he’s grown to love. Just the support we have from our fans, I know that’s one of the key reasons he’s still around.

“It’s really cool to watch him at practice. He has to drive an hour to get here, but he always walks in ready to go, then he gets out on the field and leads for the next hour and a half. As a coach I appreciate so much that he’s always prepared.”

Smith says it’s been fun to watch Carder evolve into a mentor who wants to help younger players learn about indoor football.

“The younger Alex was in a totally different place in life,” he said. “I have seen him transition into someone who loves pouring his knowledge of the game into other people.”

Role with Ironmen about the expand

Rumors about Carder finally hanging up the cleats and retiring from the Ironmen have been flying around for years.

Before the start of the current season, even Smith privately wondered if 2023 might be Carder’s final go-round with the team.

But now we are learning that just the opposite is true.

Carder not only confirmed that he will be back as the starting QB next year, but will also play a bigger role with the Ironmen organization.

Working with team owner Mario Flores and Smith, he will be helping more with player recruitment and assisting with the development of the year-old Great Lakes Arena Football league, which the Ironmen own.

The success of the new league is critical for the Ironmen, who have competed in four different leagues, but have struggled to find one with enough stable teams to remain afloat.

Besides Muskegon, the new GLAF currently has two teams based in Battle Creek (the Apex and the Battle Creek Smoke), as well as one in Ohio. A new team from Detroit has already committed to joining the league next season.

For Carder, the new league offers the opportunity for the team to continue to exist and thrive well into the future.

“I just want to be part of what we are building here with this new league,” said Carder, who added that the details of his expanded role with the team are still being hashed out. “I just think it’s really exciting for fans to see some rivalries formed with teams from some other local cities.”

A big part of Carders’ interest is helping younger players develop their skills as they pursue the kind of dreams he chased a few years ago.

He has become a great mentor for his younger teammates on the Ironmen and does one-on-one coaching with high school and college quarterbacks through his business, the A1 Passing Academy.

“Coaching and instruction are in my blood,” Carder said. “I remember back in high school, I started working with a quarterback coach and my game went to the next level. I just feel like I have all of this knowledge, and I would be remiss not to share it. When you see things start to click for a young player you are working with – when you see they are starting to understand – that’s just a great feeling.”

Carder wants the GLAF to continue to expand and provide opportunities for young players just out of college who were not drafted but still have goals – players who are a lot like he was back in 2016.

“When you’re a young football player who finishes college and has the potential to turn pro, it’s important that you are on a team and in an environment where you can keep your tools sharp,” he said. “This offers the opportunity for young players to stay ready.”

Smith is thrilled at the idea of having Carder around long-term, playing an even bigger role with the Ironmen and assisting in the development of the league.

“He’s going to be a key component,” the coach said. “He’s been through all the ups and downs we’ve had as an organization. He’s shared a lot of his ideas with us this season. We’ve had multiple conversations already. He’s a leader in our organization and he wants to see this thing go.

“We want our players to stick around and be a part of the organization for a very long time. We want great players and great men, and Alex definitely fits that mold.”