Sports Reference Blog

PFR: HoF Candidate – Cris Carter

Posted by Neil on December 13, 2011

Cris Carter

Christopher D. Carter

Position: WR
Height: 6-3    Weight: 202 lbs.

Born: November 25, 1965 in Troy, OH
College: Ohio St.   (school history)
Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round (3rd overall) of the 1987 NFL Supplemental Draft.

Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 98 (164th overall since 1950)
8-time Pro Bowler & 2-time First-Team All-Pro (fine print)

Hall of Fame finalist in 2008, 2009, 2010

Receiving Rushing
Year Age Tm Pos No. G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G YScm RRTD Fmb AV
1987 22 PHI 80 9 0 5 84 16.8 2 25 0.6 9.3 84 2 0 1
1988 23 PHI WR 80 16 16 39 761 19.5 6 80 2.4 47.6 1 1 0 1 1.0 0.1 0.1 762 6 0 7
1989 24 PHI WR 80 16 15 45 605 13.4 11 42 2.8 37.8 2 16 0 11 8.0 1.0 0.1 621 11 1 6
1990 25 MIN wr 80 16 5 27 413 15.3 3 78 1.7 25.8 2 6 0 8 3.0 0.4 0.1 419 3 0 4
1991 26 MIN WR 80 16 16 72 962 13.4 5 50 4.5 60.1 962 5 1 11
1992 27 MIN WR 80 12 12 53 681 12.8 6 44 4.4 56.8 5 15 0 6 3.0 1.3 0.4 696 6 1 7
1993* 28 MIN WR 80 16 16 86 1071 12.5 9 58 5.4 66.9 1071 9 0 9
1994*+ 29 MIN WR 80 16 16 122 1256 10.3 7 65 7.6 78.5 1256 7 4 9
1995* 30 MIN WR 80 16 16 122 1371 11.2 17 60 7.6 85.7 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1371 17 0 12
1996* 31 MIN WR 80 16 16 96 1163 12.1 10 43 6.0 72.7 1163 10 1 9
1997* 32 MIN WR 80 16 16 89 1069 12.0 13 43 5.6 66.8 1069 13 3 11
1998* 33 MIN WR 80 16 16 78 1011 13.0 12 54 4.9 63.2 1 -1 0 -1 -1.0 -0.1 0.1 1010 12 0 13
1999*+ 34 MIN WR 80 16 16 90 1241 13.8 13 68 5.6 77.6 1241 13 0 12
2000* 35 MIN WR 80 16 16 96 1274 13.3 9 53 6.0 79.6 1274 9 3 15
2001 36 MIN WR 80 16 16 73 871 11.9 6 52 4.6 54.4 1 4 0 4 4.0 0.3 0.1 875 6 2 8
2002 37 MIA 88 5 1 8 66 8.3 1 15 1.6 13.2 66 1 1 1
Career 234 209 1101 13899 12.6 130 80 4.7 59.4 13 41 0 11 3.2 0.2 0.1 13940 130 17 135
12 yrs MIN 188 177 1004 12383 12.3 110 78 5.3 65.9 10 24 0 8 2.4 0.1 0.1 12407 110 15 120
3 yrs PHI 41 31 89 1450 16.3 19 80 2.2 35.4 3 17 0 11 5.7 0.4 0.1 1467 19 1 14
1 yr MIA 5 1 8 66 8.3 1 15 1.6 13.2 66 1 1 1
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/13/2011.
NumYrs Players whose career was of similar quality and shape
3 Johnny Morris, Mel Gray, Bo Farrington, Ernest Wilford, Frank Lewis, Hassan Jones, Lawrence Dawsey, Bob Chandler, Dave L. Williams, Vincent Jackson
4 Ben Hawkins, Reggie Langhorne, Willie Green, Charlie Joiner*, Shawn Jefferson, Don Herrmann, Frank Lewis, Ray Butler, James Jett, Bernard Berrian
5 John Carson, Peter Warrick, Bernard Berrian, Justin McCareins, Wendell Davis, Chris Sanders, Dave Logan, Darryl Stingley, Drew Bennett, Robert Clark
6 James Scott, Bernard Berrian, Buddy Dial, Roy E. Williams, Drew Bennett, Michael Jackson, Tim Brown, Reggie Rucker, Michael Haynes, Braylon Edwards
7 Peerless Price, Vance Johnson, Kevin House, Mike Quick, Carlos Carson, Jimmy Orr, Ron Jessie, Pat Tilley, Reggie Rucker, Fred Barnett
8 Carlos Carson, Michael Haynes, Pat Tilley, Mike Quick, Ron Jessie, Charley Hennigan, Reggie Rucker, Terry Glenn, Willie Gault, Bill Brooks
9 Mel Gray, Darrell Jackson, Carl Pickens, Jimmy Orr, Al Toon, Brian Blades, Amani Toomer, Duriel Harris, Derrick Alexander, Bobby Mitchell*
10 Ernest Givins, Mel Gray, Roy Jefferson, Anthony Carter, Laveranues Coles, Darrell Jackson, Lynn Swann*, Brian Blades, Tony Hill, Eric Martin
11 Andre Rison, Tony Hill, Eric Martin, Laveranues Coles, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Tommy McDonald*, Tim Brown, Johnnie Morton, Isaac Curtis
12 Harold Carmichael, Andre Rison, Keyshawn Johnson, Charley Taylor*, Stanley Morgan, Hines Ward, Nat Moore, Drew Pearson, Tim Brown, Anthony Miller
13 Hines Ward, James Lofton*, Charley Taylor*, Andre Rison, Joey Galloway, Henry Ellard, Harold Carmichael, Tim Brown, John Stallworth*, Fred Biletnikoff*
14 James Lofton*, Henry Ellard, Andre Reed, Art Monk*, Paul Warfield*, Tim Brown, Isaac Bruce, Steve Largent*, Harold Jackson, Fred Biletnikoff*
15 Henry Ellard, James Lofton*, Steve Largent*, Tim Brown, Art Monk*, Andre Reed, Isaac Bruce, Raymond Berry*, Harold Jackson, Paul Warfield*
16 Henry Ellard, James Lofton*, Steve Largent*, Art Monk*, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Isaac Bruce, Raymond Berry*, Harold Jackson, Paul Warfield*
Career Henry Ellard, James Lofton*, Steve Largent*, Art Monk*, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Isaac Bruce, Raymond Berry*, Harold Jackson, Paul Warfield*
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/13/2011.

13 Responses to “PFR: HoF Candidate – Cris Carter”

  1. Packerfan4ver Says:

    He should have been in the Hall of Fame be now. I don't see him going into the Hall of Fame this year because Andree Reed was a finalist last year and is very likely getting in this year as a result.

    Cris is victim of how the voters handle Wide Receivers and how he was with the Eagles. Art Monk should have got in before Cris even was on the ballot. One of Art Monk's issues was how long it took Lynn Swann and John Stallworth getting into the Hall of Fame without mentioning Micheal Irvin.

    If Reed is elected this year, Cris will have the problem of having Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison on the ballot for 2013.

  2. Patrick Dotts Says:

    Cris Carter has been held out of Canton because of the unusual path of his career, showing flashes of brilliance as a young WR for the Philadelphia Eagles, but not peaking as a dominant #1 receiver until his late twenties as a Minnesota Viking. His 8 straight Pro Bowl selections (1993-2000) and 2 first-team all-pro nods merit selection enough, in addition to totaling 244 rec. 2,627 yds. and 24 TD between (1994-1995).

    Some of the reasons Carter is not in the hall are his 59.4 rec yds. per game, which is low for an elite WR in consideration for the HOF. Also him being viewed as a possession reciever, who ran inside routes later in his career have hurt his chances. However, with over 1,100+ receptions and 130 rec. TD, Cris Carter can not be held out of Canton. He would have my vote as a sportswriter.

  3. steve norris Says:

    YES! how hard is this 1 really? best possession reciever ever. maybe his t.v. work sucks but his football play speaks for itself. next to rice in his era. SLAM DUNK! best hands probably ever.

  4. Lonestarr Says:

    They must be waiting for a class that he can headline or something. No other reason for him to not be in already.

  5. Brian Says:

    If you wanted a first down, you threw to Carter. His impact extended beyond numbers, like someone already said- the very best possession receiver ever. I've never experience anything like it since on the Vikings. I think Wes Welker is coming close.

  6. Charles Butler Says:

    I believe that Chris Carter has the career that merits entry into Canton! However, he has the same problems that recievers like John Stallworth and Art Monk had when they were trying to get into Canton. The committee does not like to take players from the same position and unless there is dominance from both players from that positions such as quarterbacks Steve Young and Dan Marino they will go with only one. I believe that Andre Reed will go instead of Carter because he was a bigger threat and was feared because of what he could do with the ball in his hand that a Chris Carter and the same thing goes with a Tim Brown in periods in his career both in the beginning and the end.

    Also at the beginning of his career he had problems off the field when he played in Philadelphia that is hurting his chances of being in Canton right now. Unlike a Tim Brown who I think has had a more consistent career despite not having a quarterback until Rich Gannon came to Oakland and having a horrific game against arguably one of the greatest defenses in Tampa Bay in the superbowl. Carter did not begin to become dominant in his position until his seventh year in the league when he was playing in Minnesota. I think the voters are not lead by numbers which will hurt someone like Carter who has accumalated a lot of numbers as well as touchdowns which I believe is meaningless in today's game because they are so schewed!

  7. Jeremy Crowhurst Says:

    They care about rings, and if you've had a drug problem, forget about it, unless you're LT. They'll wait until you're dead, like Bob Hayes.

    Great message to send to the youth of America: "yeah, turning you're life around and beating drug addiction? No, sorry, we don't think that's something to be rewarded."

  8. Bill Says:

    Some of these comments are non-sense.

    Chris Carter is not in the Hall of Fame yet simply because it's been a numbers game. There are a lot of great players still waiting their turn to be inducted. His lack of Super Bowls has hurt - Michael Irvin and Shannon Sharpe got in ahead of him as they both have 3 rings and were part of the Cowboys Dynasty/Broncos mini-Dynasty. Hypothetically speaking: If the 1998 Vikings won the Super Bowl and the 2000 Vikings won the NFC Championship, even with that one ring, he'd probably be inducted right now.

    There is already a log-jam in the making at WR - Carter, Tim Brown, with Marvin Harrison on the horizon - and following them, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. Then after that - you have Issac Bruce and Hines Ward, Tory Holt and Andre Reed that are all similar and deserving in their own way. Tony Gonzalez is also a current player with a Gold Blazer in his future, but no rings will slow his process.

    Chris Carter's off-the-field issues are non-issues and only brought up because he's not inducted yet. It's only a matter of time.

    Anyone who tries to put some argument against him based on possession WR, yards per catch or not having a brand name QB along with him is non-sense. I've never seen a better combination of hands and ability to get both feet down. Carter was second only to Jerry Rice as greatest WR ever.

  9. Just Win Baby Says:

    Carter is deserving and will definitely get in, it's just a question of which year.

  10. Xogo Says:

    Carter deserves to get in, no question, based on his play on the field.

    Although I think Carter is a complete tool as a broadcaster who openly admits to telling other players that its all about gettin' paid and the money.

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  12. jb in gp Says:

    Did not care for him as a player, can't stand him as a broadcaster...But, yes, he's Hall of Fame worthy.

  13. James Says:

    Cris Carter should already be in. 44 writers who have never played a down of football in their lives decide who goes in or not. So mistakes will be made. I think his off the field problems (which he recovered from) are in the back of the minds of the voters. He NEEDS to go in. Best hands maybe ever and dominant receiver for a full decade. Amazing. Appalling he's not in Canton.