By the numbers: 3 super stats from Cris Carters' Hall of Fame career
Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, former Viking great Cris Carter gets the ultimate honor as he's inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Can a few numbers tell his story? Never. But here's our Hail Mary try anyway:
168
That's how many receptions Carter had in his three seasons at Ohio State -- setting a Buckeye record. Check out this one-handed sideline grab (a Carter staple in years to come) at the 1985 Citrus Bowl:
130
That's how many touchdown passes Carter caught in his 16-year career, 4th on the all-time list. The best season: 17 TD receptions in 1995. In the 15-1 1998 season, he had 12 TD catches for Minnesota. Rookie Randy Moss added 17 more as the two teamed up for 29. The most special? You can't beat No. 1:
1
As Hall of Fame week approached, one former teammate, Qadry Ismail, accused Carter of being selfish, calling him a diva. Carter's response? Of course he was: "I’m a wide receiver; I’m selfish," Carter told ESPN radio. "You think I would have made it to the Hall of Fame not being selfish?”
As for Qadry: "I tried to teach him as much as I could. Let me tell you this: It’s not a personal thing so it’s not a (Qadry) issue. I expect you if you’re in pro football to catch the freakin’ ball. So I’m not going to be happy with you if they throw it to you and you have a tendency to drop it. Or if you have a tendency to make excuses. Or if you’re not that dang-gone tough. So, did we have problems? Those were the problems. Besides that, I was a great teammate.”