Cris Carter

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Carter played college football at Ohio State and was selected by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL supplemental draft. He was let go by the Eagles in 1989 due to off-the-field issues, then signed by the Vikings, where he turned his life around, becoming a two-time first-team and one-time second-team All-Pro and playing in eight consecutive Pro Bowls. He held most of the Vikings' career receiving records when he left after 2001. He was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 2, 2013.

In Their Own Story

Carter's breakout season came in 1993 with the Vikings, when he posted career highs in receptions (86) and yards (1,071) while catching 9 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. The following year, with Warren Moon at quarterback, Carter set the NFL single-season record for receptions with 122, also leading the team with 1,256 yards and 7 touchdowns, earning First-team All Pro honors. In 1995, he caught 122 passes for a career-high 1,371 yards and led the NFL with 17 touchdown receptions, receiving Second-team All Pro honors. After the Vikings drafted Randy Moss in 1998, Carter still made the Pro Bowl, catching 78 passes for 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns as the team posted a 15–1 record. Carter finished his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2002 before retiring.

Reader's Guide

Carter is known for great hands, precise routes, and acrobatic leaps. He had remarkable body control and footwork near the sidelines. After retiring, he worked on HBO's Inside the NFL, ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, and Yahoo Sports. He also works as an assistant coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. In 2017, he began co-hosting First Things First on FS1, but was terminated in 2019 after a suspension and investigation.

Did You Know?

• Carter dropped his birth name Graduel and unofficially changed his name to Cris after wide receiver Cris Collinsworth.
• He set an NFL single-season record for receptions with 122 in 1994, later broken by Herman Moore.
• Carter's first professional catch was a 22-yard touchdown vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
• He is the brother of former NBA player and coach Butch Carter.