Carey earned a total of nine varsity athletic letters at Michigan State: three each in football, basketball and track.

His single season record of eight touchdown catches in 1949 stood for 68 years until Felton Davis III caught 9 TDs in 2017.

Teammates on the All-Star roster included future NFL Hall of Famers Ollie Matson, Frank Gifford, Hugh McElhenny and Les Richter.

Played at Soldier Field in front of 88,316 fans, the college stars lost 10–7 forcing the defending NFL champion Los Angeles Rams to come from behind to win.

Carey caught a key pass in the All Star's 69-yard first half touchdown drive which temporarily put them in the lead.

This was despite a Ram roster which included future NFL Hall of Famers Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch and Tom Fears.

The next week Detroit went on to defeat the Cleveland Browns in the NFL title game, while Carey married his college sweetheart Lynn Laue.

The receiving corps included “Crazylegs” Hirsch, Tom Fears, Bob Boyd, Leon Clarke and Carey.

Carey, who was living in Chicago, joined the Bears at training camp in Rensselaer Indiana at St. Joseph's College.

In ’58 Carey played in 11 games and had one reception made in the Bears 35–41 loss in front of 100,470 fans in the LA Coliseum.

Twins Bob and Bill were members of the legendary 1945 Charlevoix, Michigan football team that went undefeated and unscored upon.

The 1945 team was coached by Ray Kipke, for whom Charlevoix's football stadium is now named, and the inspiration behind the change in spelling of the school's nickname from Raiders to Rayders.

The 1945 Rayders finished 6–0, with shutouts of Grayling, 25–0; Mancelona, 25–0; Boyne City, 33–0; East Jordan, 24–0; Harbor Springs, 64–0; and Pellston, 58–0.

In the 15 years from 1945 to 1959, Charlevoix won 11 Northern Michigan Class C Conference championships, six of which were consecutive, and the teams combined for a sensational 92–11–4 record.

The 1945 team was composed of Dick Joliffe, Jerry Ypma, Frank Martin, Bill Carey, Bud Fox, Jim Roberts, Bill Joliffe, Don Zietler, Bernie Zietler, Bill Poole, Irving Manville, Nelson Sweitzer, Bob Crain, Dick Hardy, Jack Mol, Bernie Ward Jr., Don Brown, Em Howe, Lyle King, Bob Carey, Vince Olach, Jack Roberts, Cliff Lagerman, Bob Shanahan, Warren Shadko, Dick Donaldson, Arnie Loper, Des Milligan, Jack Kline and Pat Martin.

Carey raised a family of four children with his wife Lynn, eventually settling in the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Glendale.