Cris Carter - NFL Hero
Former NFL football player, Cris Carter was born on November 25, 1965 in Troy, Ohio. He played the position of wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1989 until 1989, the Minnesota Vikings from 1990 through 2001 and for the Miami Dolphins in 2002.
Carter spent the early years of his childhood in Troy before him, his mother, three brothers and two sisters moved to Middletown Ohio. There they lived in the projects in a tiny apartment. Carter participated in both basketball and football at Middletown High School.
Cris Carter was a highly sought after recruit out of high school for football and basketball. In order to make his mother happy, Carter decided to accept an offer from Head Coach Earle Bruce of Ohio State. Cris Carter became the first All-American wide receiver at Ohio State.
He had planned to take part in both basketball and football during his time at Ohio State; however, after the impact it made his in is freshman year, he chose to give his full attention to football. That season, he set a record at the Rose Bowl with nine receptions and 172 yards.
Carter had leaps that were acrobatic; he ran the most precise routes and had hands of greatness. Cris Carter became known for his astonishing footwork and body control as he made catches close to the sidelines. At the end of the season in 1985, quarterback Jim Karsatos intended to throw the ball away out of bounds as the other team brought him down. Remarkably, Carter caught the ball in what Karsatos calls the greatest catch in college football history.
Before the season of his senior year, Carter signed a deal with well-known sports agent Norby Walters. Carter determined ineligible once the agreement was revealed. Carter's absence in the offense in the 1987 season was a disappointing season of 6 - 4 - 1 and Coach Bruce was fired.
Even though he missed playing senior year, when Carter left he held the record at Ohio State for the most receptions with 168. He was chosen in 2000 to be a member of the Ohio State Football All-Century Team. Three years later, he received induction into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame.
Picked in the fourth round of the supplemental draft in 1987 by the Philadelphia Eagles, Cris Carter did not see much action his year as a rookie in which he caught 5 passes and 84 yards and just 2 touchdowns. His first catch as a professional football player was a 22-yard touchdown against St. Louis.
Carter was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings in 1990, but did not have many passes thrown his way in the first season of his time there. He finished the 1990 season with 3 touchdowns and 27 receptions for 413 yards. The next year he became the top pass catcher with 5 touchdowns and 72 receptions for 962 yards. Carter parted ways with the Vikings in 2001 as an all-time leader with 1,400 receptions for 12,383 yards and 110 touchdowns.
Unable to complete a deal in 2002, Carter became an analyst for "Inside the NFL" on HBO from May through October. Then the Miami Dolphins lured him onto the field. Carter was obviously out of juice catching only 3 passes and 31 receiving yards and fumbling one time. After medical issues and missed touchdowns, Cris Carter humbly retired the next season.
Cris Carter, an ordained minister, currently works with ESPN, HBO, and Yahoo Sports as an analyst, is an assistant coach and faculty member of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and owner of the training center Cris Carter's FAST Program.
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