Earle Bruce – Syndication Server

Hall of Famer Cris Carter details regret about exit from Ohio State, letting Earle Bruce down, in new EPIX documentary

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gf928m01w38qfzwxwn playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gf928m01w38qfzwxwn/01gf928m01w38qfzwxwn-2957dfee1e96c5347ed62d2d05998891.jpg]

[listicle id=92682]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Tommy Tuberville might be a Senator; how would Buckeye coaches fare running for office?

A light-hearted look at Ohio State football coaches of the past and how successful they could be as politicians.

Former Auburn (and Cincinnati) head football coach Tommy Tuberville could take the next step to becoming a United States Senator. He ran in the Alabama Republican primary and is currently in a run-off with former Senator Jeff Sessions. That election is today (Tuesday, July 14th), and polling puts Tuberville as the favorite to win both the runoff and the general election against current Senator Doug Jones. (It is worth noting that runoff polling has been pretty limited. Tuberville does have the endorsement of President Donald Trump, but interestingly enough Trump-backed candidates are 0-2 so far in Alabama Senate races.)

Sessions has not been above making this race about football, mocking Tuberville’s coaching career on multiple occasions.

So, this all got me thinking. What Ohio State coaches could run for office? Would it matter statewide or local? Let’s look at every Buckeye coach since Woody Hayes and what offices they could have run for. No, this is not a serious column analyzing their electoral prospects. Let’s just have some fun with this.

Woody Hayes (1951-1978)

Well, let’s get around the obvious to start: Hayes won’t be winning any political races now, seeing as he passed away three decades ago. That aside (and pretending he’d be younger than 107 today), could Hayes win any political office?

He was beloved during his career but riddled with controversy. The allegations of violence towards players and opponents would haunt him. His 1971 tirade against officials (including tearing up yard markers) would make for excellent opposition campaign video. Hayes was a beloved coach and teacher by so many who knew him, but it’s doubtful that a coalition of just former Ohio State students could carry a coach through to local or statewide office.

Result: Given the recent history between Ohio State and Clemson, perhaps getting fired for punching a Clemson player would make Buckeye fans more sympathetic. But it’s hard to see Coach Hayes winning any election.

Earle Bruce (1979-1987)

Like Hayes, Bruce is no longer alive. He unfortunately passed away two years ago from Alzheimer’s. Both the diagnosis and the death obviously preclude Bruce from running for office, so let’s talk about what he could have done in 2016 and before.

Bruce was a coach his entire life. He managed football teams well, and he was widely-respected and liked. He was a bit more low-profile than the other coaches on this list, which makes sense considering how Hayes’ career ended. Bruce won the Big Ten four times, but never claimed a National Championship and never won the Rose Bowl. In fact, losing the Rose Bowl (with an NC on the line) during the first year of his career probably would have hurt his potential political ambitions. Had the Buckeyes won that game, he could have won anything.

Result: Probably could have won local offices somewhere after retiring. Doesn’t seem competitive statewide.

John Cooper (1988-2000)

Cooper never won the Big Ten outright, never went undefeated, and never challenged for a National Championship. He also couldn’t beat Michigan. He was straightforward and likable, but only so far.

Result: Cooper always performed solidly, but could never finish the job when it counted. He could take primaries, but would never win a general election.

Jim Tressel (2001-2010)

Tressel is a straight-laced, honest, and decent guy, a National Championship-winning coach, and a successful administrator at multiple universities. Yes, his tenure at Ohio State ended under some controversy–-but it’s not the type of controversy that would hurt politically. He was loyal to and protected his players. On top of that, Buckeye fans felt he was given a pretty unfair deal (though getting Urban Meyer out of it made them forget that a little.) If anything, his controversies would help him.

I have no idea what Tressel’s personal politics are. I don’t know what party he would run under, nor do I know if he has any desire to hold political office. I do know one thing, though. If you were to draw up a stereotypical Ohio Senator, it would look like Jim Tressel. (I mean, can anyone really prove that Jim Tressel and Mike DeWine aren’t the same person?)

Result: Run for statewide office (though not Attorney General), Coach. Maybe you’ll join Tommy Tuberville in the Senate.

Luke Fickell (2011)

I can say one thing about Fickell’s year at Ohio State: he was clearly in over his head. Fickell was forced into a terrible situation, but he did not get nearly the results he should have with the talent he was given. Even if it was just a one-year interim stint, Fickell was a disappointment as an Ohio State coach. Based on that, you wouldn’t expect to see him running for office.

However, what he’s done since being an Ohio State head coach has to be mentioned, too. He was a solid defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer, but it’s his current job that could matter.

Fickell has been a very successful coach and revitalized the Cincinnati Bearcats program. He has built a strong defense and gone 2-0 in bowl games behind it, finishing the last two years ranked in the Top 25. Cincinnati, of course, is part of Ohio, and Fickell is building a strong reputation there. He’s also shown loyalty by not (yet) bolting for a Power 5 job. If he keeps that up, his following will only rise.

Result: Nothing statewide, but local offices in the Cincinnati region are worth looking at.

Urban Meyer (2012-2018)

What can I say about Urban Meyer? Beloved as a coach, retired under controversy, but still retains a strong following. His family’s social media posts would be fodder for opponents in any major statewide race, as would his admitted brain issues, but Meyer might just have enough popularity to blow through all that anyway. The whole state doesn’t love football so much to make it a shoo-in or anything close, but enough cares and likes Meyer to keep him competitive. We also know that a Meyer campaign would be nonstop and incredibly specific in targeting voters. The same obsessive competitive nature that burned Meyer out as a head coach would serve him well in running a political campaign.

Result: Statewide campaigns would be tough but incredible to follow. Meyer could easily win elections for United States Congress in about ten of Ohio’s 16 districts.

Ryan Day (2018-present)

It’s too early to tell anything about Day, really, but starting off your coaching career with a 16-0 run, and the only loss being a last-second heartbreaker, bodes well for all of his future endeavors. His recruiting prowess also tells us that he can convince voters, and the incredible recruiting results from his assistants shows that he can build a strong campaign.

Result: Too soon to tell, but there’s huge potential here.

Honorable Mention

He’s not a coach, but former Buckeye wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is already in Congress. Gonzalez won a competitive Republican primary in the 16th district, and he easily won the general election in November 2018. He’s running again in 2020 in a race that he’s expected to win. It is also noteworthy that, depending on the direction the party takes moving forward, many pundits expect Gonzalez to potentially be a major national player in the Republican Party. I’m not here to comment on the politics of it; I’m just pointing out that there’s already a Buckeye in office, and he’s gaining prominence.

Ohio Sate vs. Michigan Buckeye Battle Cry: What’s your fondest memory of The Game

In our latest Buckeye Battle Cry roundtable, we ask our writers what their favorite memory of Ohio State vs. Michigan is.

One of the things we like to do here at Buckeyes Wire is debate. We’re good at it, even when we’re wrong. Each Friday, we’ll throw out a topic that seems to be in the news or is a hot topic of discussion and provide a round table forum of discussion. Sometimes it’ll be two writers, sometimes more. Sometimes it’ll be hotly debated, sometimes more civil.

Heck, sometimes it’ll be outlandish, but it’ll fun nonetheless.

You can even get in on the act by going to our Facebook or Twitter page (at the bottom of this article) and providing your own input, but beware — we do like to respond and hash it out, so be ready for some debate yourself.

This week, in honor of Ohio State vs. Michigan week, we’re asking our writers what their fondest memory of The Game is. There are sure to be plenty to choose from, but what sticks out more than any other.

Mark takes us down memory lane first.

Next … Mark remembers

Pages: 123