The starter can? control the current. What it can do is connect the line voltage to the motor, allowing the motor to pull whatever current it requires to come up to full speed. If the motor has nothing attached to the shaft, it will draw very low amps at full speed. If the motor has a big load, like a forced draft fan with damper wide open, it will draw lots of current. If the fan bearings fail and the load becomes far greater than normal, the motor will draw enough current to overheat. The starter overload protection (if designed in and used) will then open those original contacts and disrupt the current.