Darius Carter’s teammates refer to the New Castle Thunder defensive starter as “Big D.”

Then again, so do his customers and co-workers at Phil Fitts Ford-Lincoln-Mercury on Wilmington Road in Neshannock Township.

You couldn’t be faulted for assuming “Big D” represents his play on defense, the deals he offers or his 6-foot-2-inch, 300-pound frame.

No, those aren’t the reasons. It seems people can’t remember the name “Darius,” Carter explained. Around the North American Football League, however, the Hampton University graduate has the league’s full attention.

“Darius Carter demands a double team,” defensive coach Domenick Razzano said. “When he’s being double teamed, you have the linebackers running free.

“He’s a run stopper. He plugs up the holes.”

Carter is one of the reasons New Castle has a 2-0 record, has kept opponents scoreless and is atop the NAFL1 power rankings.

“It’s one of the better defenses I’ve seen,” said Carter, who has been with the Thunder in their three years of existence. “We worked great in the first two years, and this one seems to be a lot better.

“We have more talent and key guys. Guys are faster and more comfortable in the schemes.”

The defense’s next challenge will be to quell the Steel Valley Division opponent, the Ohio Invaders (1-1), at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Taggart Stadium. Based in Cleveland, the Invaders posted a 2-0 victory against the North Coast Invaders last week.

“We’re pretty solid across the board as far as our defense is concerned,” Thunder head coach Sam Holmes said. “On our defensive front, we’ve got some guys who know how to play.”

Carter had been out of football for five years when the Thunder first formed.

Throughout high school and college play, Carter outpowered his teammates when it involved weightlifting. At Monroe-Woodbury High School in Monroe, N.Y., he was the strongest from his freshman through senior years.

Carter achieved the same acclaim at Hampton, an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision program that plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

His best effort came during his years in high school when he benched 400 pounds, squatted 725 and performed 25 repetitions of 225 pounds.