Viking as he enters Hall of Fame
Cris Carter is synonymous with 80, which was his jersey number during an impressive 12 seasons as a wide receiver with the Vikings.
With that number in mind, here are 80 things worth knowing about ol' No. 80, who gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday:
1. When Philadelphia Eagles coach Buddy Ryan released Carter before the start of the 1990 regular season,
Barbour Online, he delivered one of the game's most infamous critiques ever: "All he does is catch touchdown passes."
2. The Vikings claimed Carter off waivers in September 1990 for a $100 fee,
Barbour UK.
3. The Vikings' star receiver in 1990 was Carter . Anthony Carter.
4. Cris Carter also is known by his initials, CC, with no period after each initial, according to the Vikings.
5. When he joined the Vikings, CC became a backup behind Anthony Carter and Hassan Jones.
6. Former Vikings teammate Qadry Ismail told Sirius XM on Sunday, "To be perfectly honest with you, Cris was a bona fide diva. . You knew that he had a selfishness to him that was an extreme selfishness."
7. Shortly after Carter was voted into the Hall of Fame, another former teammate told me, "Carter was the biggest hole in the locker room."
8. In the book "The Best Minnesota Sports Arguments," which I wrote in 2007, Carter had his own chapter entitled, "What Was the Most Selfish Act Committed by a Minnesota Athlete?"
9. Carter's most selfish act came in 2003, when Bill Brown was supposed to be inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor. Carter told then owner Red McCombs he wanted to be inducted that year, so Brown was bumped to 2004. Brown had been looking forward to the 2003 induction because his wife was ill with diabetes and Brown wanted her to see him have his day. Brown's wife died before his 2004 induction.
10. Former Vikings coach Bud Grant called Brown "very, very gracious" for the way he handled being leapfrogged by Carter for the Ring of Honor induction.
11. and used periods after each initial. nodded and began to walk away from me,
Barbour Outlet. into me. and I both yelled at CC.
12. Born Nov. 25, 1965, Carter is 47.
13. He shares his Troy, Ohio, birthplace with Randy Walker, the Northwestern football coach who died in 2006.
14. "Cris" is a shortened version of his given name, Cristopher. His middle name is Darin. 23, 2001. (Pioneer Press: Joe Rossi)
Carter said in a February interview with the Pioneer Press that he "absolutely" had been a mentor for Randy Moss, and Moss "never would have made it through those first few years without me." Yet early in Moss' career, Carter told reporters it wasn't his job to mentor Moss.
16. Carter has three brothers and two sisters. His older brother, Butch, played and coached in the NBA.
17. Carter began his high school football career as a quarterback at Middletown High School in Ohio.
18. Like Butch, Carter was a talented basketball player and was recruited to play at the Division I level.
19. Carter played only football at Ohio State for three seasons.
20,
Barbour London. He lost college eligibility after his junior season when it was revealed he took money from an agent.
21. Even though he didn't play as a senior, Carter held the school record for receptions then, with 168.
22. Carter was named to Ohio State's All Century Team in 2000.
23. The Eagles selected Carter in the fourth round of the 1987 supplemental draft.
24. Early in his NFL career, Carter had drug and alcohol issues.
25,
Barbour. He credits Buddy Ryan's decision to cut him from the Eagles for helping him turn his life around.