Dale Lavelle Carter (born November 28, 1969) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. He played for the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
,
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, and
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
.
Professional career
Carter was drafted as a
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
by the Chiefs in the
1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992, at the Marriott ...
out of the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
.
In
1992, Carter was named the
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...
. On Thanksgiving Day (November 23, 1995), Carter was ejected for kicking Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys in a 24-12 loss at Texas Stadium.
After six seasons in Kansas City in which he shined on the field, but had numerous off-the-field problems, Carter signed a four-year, $22.8 million contract with the Broncos in 1999, making him the NFL's highest-paid defensive back. After a poor year, Carter was suspended for the entire 2000 season due to a fourth substance abuse violation before being released during the 2001 season. He then played for the Vikings, Saints, he missed the entire 2004 season due to a blood clot in his lung and then played for the Ravens before retiring after the 2005 season.
NFL statistics
Personal life
Carter is the brother of
Jake Reed, former wide receiver who played most notably for the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, father of current
Seattle Seahawks defensive back
Nigel Warrior, and the uncle of defensive back
J.R. Reed.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Dale
1969 births
Living people
People from Covington, Georgia
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
American football cornerbacks
Tennessee Volunteers football players
All-American college football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Denver Broncos players
Minnesota Vikings players
New Orleans Saints players
Baltimore Ravens players
National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients