No. 80 is now retired for Cris Carter, but who wore the number for the Vikings before him?
It’s the final countdown…
Well, sort of.
The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 81 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.
From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.
No. 80 is currently retired for wide receiver Cris Carter. Carter, a Hall of Famer, played 12 seasons with the Vikings and totaled 12,383 receiving yards and 110 touchdowns in purple and gold.
With 80 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 80 with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):
NFL supplemental draft returns in 2023: A look at the Eagles’ history
The NFL’s Supplemental Draft is back for the first time since 2019 after the league granted eligibility for Purdue receiver Milton Wright. In 2021, he caught 57 passes for 732 yards and seven touchdowns for the Boilermakers.
Wright was ruled academically ineligible for the 2022 college football season and left Purdue last May.
The Supplemental Draft is for draft-eligible players who didn’t enter the selection process but cannot return to college football the same year.
There have been 46 players selected in the National Football League supplemental draft since its inception in 1977.
The supplemental draft was created in 1977 for players whose circumstances affected their eligibility and who did not enter the NFL draft during the spring.
Three players in the 1984 supplemental draft entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young, Gary Zimmerman, and Reggie White.
Cousins is the third Minnesota Viking to win the award
The Minnesota Vikings announced on Wednesday that quarterback Kirk Cousins was named the winner of the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr award. Founded in 1989, the award is meant to honor the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.
#Vikings Kirk Cousins has won the annual Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award, given to an NFL player who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community." He'll be honored at the Super Bowl. Vikings' Cris Carter won it in 1995
Kirk Cousins will be the third Viking to receive this award since its inception. Quarterback Warren Moon and wide receiver Cris Carter also won the award.
Cousins briefly touched on the award in his weekly press conference, where he went on to talk about getting the opportunity to meet Bart Starr.
Cousins: “I ran down towards their tunnel and just tapped him on the shoulder and shook his hand, introduced myself and just told him, basically, ‘Well done — in the life he's lived and not only what he does football field but who he was as a man and person.’”
Cousins will receive the award at the Super Bowl breakfast in Phoenix, Arizona on February 11th and hopefully, the Vikings will also be preparing to play in the Super Bowl that weekend.
The Minnesota Vikings are set to host the New York Giants in a Christmas Eve showdown on Saturday. Since the Vikings are at home, they’ll continue a tradition of sounding the Gjallarhorn, something that they’ve started since the opening of US Bank Stadium in 2016.
This Saturday, Minnesota Wild star left wing Kirill Kaprizov will get the honor of sounding the horn. Kaprizov is the first Wild player since center Erik Haula to sound the Gjallarhorn.
Other notable people that have sounded the Gjallarhorn this season:
Sylvia Fowles – Former Minnesota Lynx Cris Carter- Former Vikings Wide Receiver Lonnie Warwick– Former Vikings Linebacker Charlie Huizinga– Child battling acute Leukemia Jared Allen– Former Vikings Defensive End Paul Nakasone- United Stated Four-Star General Sunisa Lee- Women’s Gymnastic Olympic Champion Jairus Wright- Former Vikings Wide Receiver
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov will sound the Gjallarhorn before Saturday's #Vikings game vs. the Giants.
Not many know this about Cris Carter, but now we do thanks to a documentary from NFL Films and EPIX.
Former Ohio State All-American receiver Cris Carter has been through a lot in his life. From growing up without a father to suspension and early departure from Ohio State, to his struggles off the field early in his NFL career, to say that his story is one of redemption would be an understatement.
There are plenty of Buckeye fans that know the story of Carter very well, but there are those too young to remember the NFL Hall of Famer from when he wore the scarlet and gray.
The “NFL Icons” Cris Carter Episode
But that’s OK. Thanks to the “NFL Icons” docuseries on EPIX, there’s plenty to get up to speed on. That’s because one of the eight episodes details the career and life of Carter. And, boy, is it worth a watch. It is done in partnership with NFL Films with Rich Eisen narrating, and it is both entertaining — and revealing — with some never before seen footage and behind-the-scenes moments we’ve all come to expect from NFL Films.
The Carter episode is set to air on Oct. 22, and we received a sneak peek here at Buckeyes Wire. Although Carter may be known by many more because of his Hall of Fame career in the NFL with the Eagles and Vikings, the episode goes into pretty good depth on his time in Columbus.
The Troubles at Ohio State
One of the rawest and most emotional moments deals with Carter’s unexpected early exit from Ohio State. For those of you that don’t know the story well, the Buckeyes were set up for what was expected to be a run at a national title in 1987, but it was derailed. First, by the suspension of Carter because of marijuana use early in the season. Then he was ruled ineligible after signing with an agent.
“When I got recruited to Ohio State, we had the No. 1 recruiting class, 1984. And we really thought we were gonna win a national championship,” Carter said in the documentary “I got tired of being broke. I got tired of not being able to call my mom. I got tired of just not — after the game, not being able to go get a slice of pizza.
“I really thought they were a great organization. I thought they were going to do big things. I mean, I’m not gonna sit here and act like I was naive. I know that I can’t take money from an agent, um, as long as I have eligibility. I didn’t think about my eligibility when I signed. I was thinking about my long-term career. My life, um, was totally turned upside down. Um, the relationships I had at Ohio State were ruined. And, um, it wasn’t like there was a lot of people that wanted Cris Carter associated with what they were doing at the time.”
Instead of a season of wonder under Earle Bruce, Ohio State limped to a 6-4-1 record with Bruce being fired in November.
“We were building something there together. And when I left, and not only did it alter the history of Ohio State, but it altered his career,” continues Carter. “He got fired. And I could have — I would have changed that.
“They needed my voice. And Earl lost control of the locker room. And that wouldn’t have happened. And, for me, and the decision that I made that I thought long-term was going to be best for my career it affected his career in a negative way, and I was sorry for that.”
Carter struggled with addiction with the Eagles and was let go by then-head coach Buddy Ryan. But with such great body control, hands and a desire to be the best, Carter found redemption and one of the best careers we’ve ever seen a receiver have in the league while with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Regret and Reflection
October 1985; Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Cris Carter (2) during the 1986 season. Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Despite it all though, Carter still feels badly about what he did to Ohio State and Earle Bruce. In fact, to hear him tell it, in a life that had many struggles he had to overcome, it was the one moment in his career and time on this Earth he regrets the most.
Carter went back to speak at his high school, Middletown, in 2013, and his old college coach was in attendance. He took the time to let everyone know, Bruce included, how he was sorry for how things ended in Columbus.
“I got to tell you, coach Bruce, I love you to death. And I think that you should know this,” an emotional Carter remarked. “When I let you down before my senior year and was not able to play football for the Buckeyes, that was the worst thing that ever happened to me. And I’ve never had a chance to tell you this, Coach. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I wish I could go over and do it again. And if I could, I would have played my senior year for the Buckeyes. My fate would have been different. And I believe that your fate would have been different. And for that, I am sorry. And thank you for your support, Coach.”
Underappreciated Redemption
Look, there are plenty of stories where star players get in trouble and never recover. There are plenty of things chronicled about an athlete that could never round the corner of addiction or other off-the-field troubles resulting in a waste of talent and what could have been. A story like Carter’s probably isn’t told enough, and I don’t know that he’s ever gotten enough credit for how he turned things around despite it all to become one of the greatest to ever catch passes in the history of the NFL.
And this is just a small slice of the Carter episode that was very well done and highly entertaining with nuggets of information that many just never knew. If you are an OSU fan or a fan of Carter’s it is well worth an hour or so to check out the episode.
And if you are a football fan in general, the NFL Icons series is also must-watch television. Aside from the Carter episode, the second season also goes in-depth with episodes about John Madden, Walter Payton, Jimmy Johnson, Steve Young, Ray Lewis, Troy Aikman and Tony Dungy.
But first things first, find a way to get EPIX and watch the Carter episode on Saturday, Oct. 22. You will not be sorry.
These cleats are an excellent tribute to the original 3 Deep
The Minnesota Vikings are ready to take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon and nobody is more ready than wide receiver Adam Thielen.
Before each game, players can choose to wear whatever they want while they go through pregame warm-ups. One of the ways that players choose to express themselves is by wearing custom cleats.
Thielen has been known to have some creative cleats. Last week against the Eagles, he wore custom Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa cleats and he took it one step further this week with a picture of the original 3-deep.
Originally consisting of Cris Carter, Jake Reed and a rookie Randy Moss, 3-Deep was a dominant force that helped the Vikings set the NFL record for most points in a season.
The current Vikings receivers aren’t too far off from the original trio in the 1998 season. A really cool homage to the legendary group from Thielen.
If you were released by an NFL team today, your career may not be over! Several pro football Hall of Famers were once cut by other teams.
On the annual occasion of the NFL’s cruel necessity to trim its rosters down to the mandated 53 players, it’s important to remember that for the hundreds of players who heard the worst possible professional news on Tuesday, August 30, that there is hope after getting cut by one team. If you’ve put good tape out there, other teams will see it, and you might get another shot that way. Perhaps a coach or executive you’ve worked with before is on another team, and that person wants you where they are now. Or maybe a team that’s wafer-thin at your position will roll the dice.
Given the sheer numbers, it makes sense that players cut by one team would find success elsewhere. In rare occasions, players who have been jettisoned, unwanted, have rolled up to other places and played at levels that landed them (at the very least) in a Ring of Honor somewhere, and (at the very most) in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Not everybody releasing players this week is right. And not every player released this week is wrong. It’s important for all of those players to remember that, and perhaps to be inspired by this list of the best players in pro football history to find themselves released by one team, only to succeed beyond anybody’s wildest expectations somewhere else.
This should be well worth a watch and include never before seen video, interviews, and more on former #GoBucks great Cris Carter.
Premium cable network EPIX announced the second season of their franchise show, “NFL Icons,” on Tuesday — and there’s a former Ohio State football great that will be a part of the series brought to you by NFL Films.
Former Buckeye receiver Cris Carter, who played for the Buckeyes from 1984 through 1986, will be the focus of one of the eight episodes. The Carter episode will air on Saturday, October 22, at 10 p.m. EDT/PDT. According to a release, the production will have content that you would only expect from NFL Films.
“The feature has lots of Buckeye stories from when Cris attended Ohio State and excelled for the Buckeyes,” read a release. “The relationship with Earle Bruce is a thread throughout.
“Wide receiver Cris Carter’s winding road from a childhood in Middletown, Ohio to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton – including stops as a celebrated Ohio State Buckeye, through adversity with the Philadelphia Eagles and redemption with the Minnesota Vikings.”
Carter will forever be remembered as one of the best to play the wide receiver position in the scarlet and gray, and marrying his story up with the storytelling and wide range of archived video the folks at NFL Films possess should be well worth a watch.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter celebrates in the end zone after catching a 14-yard pass from quarterback Brad Johnson for a touchdown in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints in Minneapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 1998. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)
The series will be narrated by award-winning broadcaster Rich Eisen and will have exclusive interviews, video, mic’d up moments, and off-the-field content you won’t see anywhere else. The first episode of the series will be a feature of the late, great, John Madden on Sept. 10, at 10 p.m. EDT/PDT.
“We are thrilled to present Season Two of NFL Iconson EPIX,“ said Michael Wright, president of EPIX. “Our partners at NFL Films are accomplished storytellers, with unprecedented access and insight into their uniquely American subject. The NFL Iconsfranchise, narrated by the incomparable Rich Eisen, is a celebration of those players and coaches who have helped define what is best about the league. NFL ICONS is a great addition to EPIX’s growing list of acclaimed and entertaining docuseries.”
To get you ready for the next season of the series, take a look at a teaser provided by the folks at EPIX.
“NFL Icons,” Season Two on EPIX, will consist of episodes focusing on the following NFL Hall of Famers:
Walter Payton (Sept. 17)
Jimmy Johnson (Sept. 24)
Steve Young (Oct. 1)
Ray Lewis (Oct. 8)
Troy Aikman (Oct. 15) Cris Carter (Oct. 22)
Tony Dungy (Oct. 29)
So set your DVR, or tune in to EPIX to have an exclusive look at many of the NFL’s icons we’ve come accustomed to watching through the history of the NFL, including — and most especially — former OSU great Cris Carter.
What Ohio State player do you think of historically when you discuss the wide receiver position? #GoBucks
It’s the doldrums of almost summer and you are most likely stuck between queueing up last year’s Rose Bowl victory over Utah on the DVR for the umpteenth time, reading rankings and listicles that include Ohio State, and yearning for the start of the college football season.
Sounds like a perfect time to kick off a series we are embarking upon here at Buckeyes Wire. We call it the “face of the position” and it’s really exactly as it sounds. When you think of a position group at Ohio State, who do you think of? From quarterback to linebacker, to placekicker and beyond, OSU has some of the most iconic and historical college football players that have taken their place among the best in the game.
However, one player stands out above all else when you shroud them behind the colors of scarlet and gray, and that’s where we are going to ask for your assistance.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting players that are in the running for the face of a position at Ohio State and asking for your vote in a Twitter poll to have one player identified as the one you think immediately at that position.
We’ve already looked at the quarterback position and running backs. Now we’re moving on to the wide receiver position where Ohio State has begun to recruit better than anyone. It’s a position that might eventually be considered Cadillac group in the history of Ohio State over the next few years because it’s already well on its way with a lot of momentum.
We’ll keep voting up for five days, and at the end of it, we’ll reveal the winner of each. Make sure you scroll to the bottom to cast your vote from the nominees and write in a candidate if you think of another player.
Did Cris Carter have the best hands ever in the NFL?
Cris Carter is arguably the best wide receiver to ever wear the scarlet and gray. In an era of Ohio State football when throwing the pigskin was mostly an afterthought, Carter was as sure-handed as they came.
He finished his OSU career with 2,725 yards and 27 touchdown receptions and would go on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Between time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, Carter had over 1,000 receptions, nearly 14,000 yards receiving, to go along with 130 touchdowns.
NFL Throwback put a highlight reel together of some of the former Buckeye’s pass-catching abilities asking if maybe he had the best hands ever. There were plenty of opinions to go around, but it was Carter himself who chimed him with an interesting quote saying:
“Talked to (goat) @JerryRice this week, he said “‘I wanted to catch the ball like Cris Carter'” I rest my case.
Most would say that Jerry Rice is the greatest all-around receiver ever in the NFL. To have the greatest say that he wanted to catch like you? That really does speak volumes of how great Cris Carter was over the course of his career.
One of the all-time greats for sure, both in the NFL and in Ohio State history.
