WR Drew Carter (Oakland Raiders)

[Renaissance]

Panthers.com

Carter back up to speed
June 10, 2005

After a year spent recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, wide receiver Drew Carter started making a name for himself at the Panthers post-draft mini-camp in late April, where the 2004 fifth-round pick from Ohio State made the eye-opening play seem almost routine.

While teammates and coaches were happy with what they saw, they were also cautious to put too much pressure on Carter. But halfway through summer school, Carter is still drawing attention to himself.

"He keeps making play after play," said quarterback Jake Delhomme. "We'd never seen him at full strength before. That's the thing. Nobody knew what he could do last year because he got hurt the first day of summer school. He's doing some great things. Hopefully, he can continue. He wants to learn. He wants to be good and he's working at it. He has some good guys to watch and learn from. It would be nice if he can come on because he's a big, rangy, tall target."

Which would make him a perfect candidate to be part of the Panthers receiving corps, provided he can stay healthy. He says he is on track.

"I feel good," he said. "I feel blessed to be out here with my teammates on the field after only being with them off the field all last year. Even though I wasn't playing, I was in every meeting. I watched the film. I watched the routes and how the other guys played. It felt good just to learn from them, and now I feel at ease coming in as a rookie, basically.

"That whole year made me more comfortable this year. I'm not as stressed and I'm just ready to play."

Carter provides more than just a tall target. He's one of the fastest players on the team, and he's not afraid to use his quickness.

"I feel I have top end speed," said Carter. "I can stretch the field."

But perhaps the best thing Carter has going for him is his attitude. One of the most easygoing guys on the team, Carter doesn't go anywhere without his trademark smile.

"I feel like I'm consistent and I bring a good attitude to practice every day," he said. "I'm always ready to play."

[BuckBackHome]

That is one guy I hope realizes his dreams.

[osugrad21]

GoUpState.com



Published August 5, 2005

Carter happy to be competing

ROB LANDRETH, For the Herald-Journal
During a seven-on-seven drill Thursday afternoon, Drew Carter lined up at his natural wideout position and ran his pass pattern. Down the sideline he ran, past the defender and into the corner of the end zone where he was supposed to be.

However, Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme decided on another option. Instead of Carter, Delhomme passed it to his secondary receiver.

But for Carter, it didn't matter. For now, he's just happy to be out on the field and playing again after a nearly two-year layoff.

"It's great to be back out there," he said. "Last year was kind of a blessing in disguise because it helped me learn and get familiar with the system."

Carter last stepped foot onto a football field on Oct. 25, 2003. As a senior for Ohio State, Carter's game against Indiana would be his last for the Buckeyes.

Midway through the second quarter, Carter went up to catch a pass from quarterback Craig Krenzel and landed awkwardly on his knee.

After a series of tests, it was determined that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament and he was done for the season.

"It was a setback," Carter said. "It had me down for a while."

He didn't stay down too long.

In the 2004 NFL draft, Carter heard his name called by the Panthers in the fifth round.

Despite the injury, Carter's 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame combined with blazing 4.36 speed in the 40-yard dash made him an intriguing choice at the time.

But little did the Panthers know they would have to wait a little longer to see Carter's physical attributes.

On the first day of minicamp, Carter again tore his ACL and was done for the year, ending any hopes of a 2004 comeback.

"It was almost like surreal, this isn't happening again," he said. "I kinda rushed back quicker than I should've. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

Carter took the season and instead of a negative, he turned it into a positive. He attended meetings, watched film and received technique and route-running tips from veteran receivers such as Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl and injured teammate Steve Smith.

"He was able to see a lot and learn a lot," said second-year Panthers wide receiver Keary Colbert, a good friend of Carter's. "It was a good year for him. He's recovered and is as ready as he can be."

Today, Carter is locked in a battle for a roster spot.

The late acquisition of Rod Gardner in a trade with the Redskins to go along with Colbert, Smith and Proehl, leaves Carter battling 8-year veteran Karl Hankton and a handful of other players for a pair of roster spots at a position that was a weakness for the Panthers a year ago.

"It's a battle every day," Carter said. "I'm just going to have to go out there and compete. That's what we have to do. We're all good friends, but we're gonna push and battle each other every day."

Carter does have an advantage that the others don't -- patience.

"Everyone knows his potential on the field," Colbert said. "He's faced a lot of adversity and has battled through it. He's waited his turn and is ready to play and he's anxious. He wants it bad and you can tell it."

In just little over a week's time, when the Washington Redskins come to Bank of America Stadium, it won't be a regular season game. It will be a preseason game and for Carter that will do.

As soon as he steps foot on the field it will be worth the wait. His patience and hard work will have been rewarded.

"It's going to feel great," he said. "It will have been worth it. I just want my chance to show what I can do."

And after all he's been through that's not too much to ask.

[lvbuckeye]

man, i really hope he makes it... Drew is WAY too good a guy to have to deal with the injuries he's had to endure... hopefully that hard work and patience pays off...

[Deety]

I sure hope he gets to realize his full potential and wows 'em all. Go, Drew, go...

[BuckBackHome]

Drew's one of those guys I would love to see try coaching at some point. I think everything he has been through would only make him a better coach.

[buckeyefool]

He keeps doing what he is doing, and even if he doesn't make the panthers roster some team will have and eye on him

[HineyBuck]

Originally Posted by buckeyefool

He keeps doing what he is doing, and even if he doesn't make the panthers roster some team will have and eye on him

He keeps doing what he is doing, he will make the Panthers' roster. And he will be on the field. And he will be successful.

Drew Carter is one of the good guys. He's one that you just want to make it. He's earned his opportunity for success from the school of hard knocks. I just hope he's able to enjoy the success that he's earned.

But he's been so injury prone. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Good luck Drew. May the Buckeye spirit be with you.

[osugrad21]

GoUpState.com

8/7

Carter, Panthers give public a show at Fan Fest

Associated Press,
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Drew Carter knows how to make a good first impression.

In his first appearance at Bank of America Stadium, the Carolina Panthers receiver made five catches for 92 yards and two scores Saturday during a 48-play intrasquad scrimmage at the team's annual Fan Fest.

Carter, a fifth-round pick from Ohio State in 2004, missed all of his rookie season after tearing the ACL in his knee on the first full day of practice last year.



Carolina receiver Drew Carter (18) gave the fans a glimpse of his speed Saturday, catching five passes for 92 yards and two scores during the Panthers' Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Photo: CHUCK BURTON

He wasted no time giving fans a glimpse of his outstanding speed -- demonstrated earlier this year when he beat speedy receiver Steve Smith in a 40-yard dash -- by blowing by safety Idrees Bashir on one touchdown grab.

Both touchdown receptions came off the arm of quarterback Stefan LeFors, the team's fourth-round draft pick.

"It's been a long wait for me," Carter said. "When I was walking through the tunnel to come out here (on the field) today, I was just so excited. It feels good to finally walk out on this field with some cleats on."

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Carter hopes to earn a roster spot on a receiving corps that already includes Smith, Clemson's Rod Gardner, Keary Colbert, Ricky Proehl and special teams ace Karl Hankton.

"He might be new to our fans, but we've known about him for awhile," head coach John Fox said. "He made some nice plays out there today, and he's done that at camp, too."

Carter's performance was one of the few offensive highlights Saturday as Carolina's highly acclaimed defense dominated the action. Even Carolina's first-team offense struggled against the second-team defense.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SPARTANBURG, S.C.

It seems like it has always been this way for Drew Carter. Everyone is always raving about his potential.

For once, last Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, Carter's potential ran headlong into reality - and the results were spectacular.

Sure, it was merely an intrasquad scrimmage for the Carolina Panthers in front of just 13,132 fans. But for Carter, it felt wonderful. He admitted afterward that, heck, it was great just to trot onto a football field with cleats on again.

That was meant as a joke, but was not far from the truth. Even though Carter has had his cleats on and has been practicing hard for the Panthers since a series of minicamps and coaching sessions last spring and early summer, Saturday marked the first time he had stepped onto the team's home field and done anything other than take mental notes about what other wide receivers were doing.

In a series of 12 plays, working mostly with the second-team offense and fourth-string quarterback Stefan LeFors, Carter caught touchdown passes of 37 and 36 yards. They were the only offensive touchdowns of the 60-play scrimmage.

"It's a big step, but it's still early," said Carter, who caught five passes for 102 yards. "I feel like if I take it day by day and stay healthy, I'll be ready to play when the regular season gets here."

Of course, staying healthy has been a huge problem for Carter since he began playing football belatedly as a senior at Solon High School just outside Cleveland, Ohio, in 1998. Even though he played only one year of high-school ball, his size and blazing speed were tantalizing enough that he was offered a full scholarship to Ohio State.

He appeared in all 12 games as freshman at Ohio State in 2000, mostly on special teams. But the next year, after missing the first two games of the season with a sprained right ankle, he suffered a torn anterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee in his very first game back.

It was the beginning of a painful pattern for Carter. He went through a year of rehabilitation, proved he could still run like a gazelle - and then, after finally winning a starting position as a senior in 2003, he tore the ACL in his right knee.

Still, NFL scouts gushed about his potential. They raved about his rare combination of size (6-3, 200 pounds) and speed (4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash). The Panthers spent a fifth-round draft pick on him, even though he was still recovering from his latest ACL injury.

Then, in his first full-speed foray on the field during a coaching session in June 2004, Carter tore the ACL in his right knee again. It was back to rehab.

He said that he thinks he tried to come back too quickly from the first ACL tear in his right knee. He also said that he feels no ill effects, mentally or physically, from any of the previous knee injuries - and it shows on the field, where he has lost none of his speed and has been turning heads on the Panthers' coaching staff since last spring.

"I think in rehab, I really trained hard. There weren't any easy days," Carter said. "The main thing about rehab is I wanted to get back to normal. I don't want to ever show any signs of weakness. I don't want to give any defenses a chance to see that. I just want to go out, work hard every day, and take care of my body. I think that's the way I approached rehab, and I think it's paying off now."

Cornerback Ricky Manning said he marvels at how Carter has been able to come back repeatedly from a series of serious injuries that might have made others give up football for good.

"Drew is a good kid. I take my hat to him after coming back from three knee injuries. I don't know how he does it; I don't think I could have," Manning said.

"But he hasn't lost his stride. He's still running low-4.3 40s. He's a fast guy and a good receiver. He's working on the things he needs to work on and he's getting better every day."

[slickman]

Healthy and hungry

Second-year WR is ready to contribute in Carolina

By Chris Neubauer (cneubauer@pfwmedia.com)
Aug. 18, 2005




It’s introduction time. I will try to make this as short and painless as possible.

With this being my first column for Pro Football Weekly, I felt this was an appropriate time to familiarize you with a player you may not know from one of the NFC South’s best teams.

Let’s welcome Panthers WR Drew Carter to the stage. Why haven’t you heard of Carter? Well, he’s buried on the Panthers’ depth chart at the moment, battling the fearsome duo of Karl Hankton and Micah Ross for the fifth WR spot.

To move up the depth chart, Carter will have to pass potential Pro Bowler Steve Smith, productive Rod Gardner, talented second-year man Keary Colbert and wily vet Ricky Proehl.

And Carter will have to attempt this feat with no career catches to his credit as he enters his second season in the NFL.

Ok, I’ll level with you. I really have no reason to expect anything from Carter this season. That’s kind of how the Panthers felt when they selected him in the fifth round of the 2004 draft.

He had a bad pair of knees. He only played two full seasons of college ball at Ohio State. A torn ACL in his left knee ruined his sophomore season and a torn ACL in his right knee ended his senior campaign prematurely. He had 41 career catches for the Buckeyes and only one — yes one — touchdown catch. Oh, and he didn’t start playing organized football until his senior year of high school.

Solid.

Carter’s brief NFL career has resembled his injury-filled college career. He re-injured his right knee two months after being drafted by the Panthers. He didn’t play a game for the Panthers last season in what should have been his rookie year. Instead, it ended up being like a redshirt year in college for him, as he went to meetings every day but never graced the field on game days.

So, of all the NFL unknowns, why did I choose to share this space with Carter?

Most importantly, Carter feels no pain in his knee these days.

“It’s fine. I don’t have any problems with it. I barely even think about it anymore,� Carter told PFW this week.

And then there’s the reason the Panthers took a chance on this football novice and drafted him.

It’s the speed, stupid.

Carter reportedly ran a 4.34 40-yard dash during the Panthers' offseason workouts. He flew on two surgically repaired knees, not any sort of magic wings.

The Panthers are also enamored with his size: 6-3, 200 pounds.

Carter’s return to health couldn’t have come at a better time. The Panthers let the NFL’s top receiver in 2004, Muhsin Muhammad (93 catches for 1,405 yards and 16 TDs), leave via free agency to try to save Chicago’s inept offense.

That left Carolina with Smith and Colbert to man the starting WR spots. Smith suffered a broken leg in last year’s season opener and missed the entire season. Carter said Smith has looked stellar in training camp: “He’s back 100 percent healthy. I don't see anything slowing him down.�

Colbert had a solid rookie year but has been slowed by a hamstring injury in training camp. Gardner has been impressive — he caught a TD pass on the opening drive vs. the Redskins (his former team) last week — and is pushing Colbert to start alongside Smith. Then there’s Proehl, who had 34 catches in his 15th NFL season last year and shows few signs of slowing down.

Smith will do his thing as the Panthers' No. 1 receiver — “He always catches someone’s eye because he’s always doing something spectacular,� Carter said — but it will take Colbert, Gardner and Proehl to make up for the loss of Muhammad.

That’s where Carter comes in. He’s nearly the same size as the 6-2, 217-pound Muhammad. And, according to reports from training camp, Carter has a flair for the acrobatic catch like his mentor Muhammad.

Carter’s speed is the X-factor and it was on full display vs. the Redskins. In the second quarter, he ran a reverse 10 yards to the goal line that set up a one-yard TD pass on the next play.

“I love doing those type of plays,� he said. “I feel like I can get around that corner fast.�

Carter also used his quick first step to get separation from his defender to snare a one-yard TD grab from rookie QB Stefan LeFors early in the fourth quarter.

I like Carter’s size, his speed and his poise. I’m starting to see in the preseason what the Panthers saw in Carter on Draft Day. It’s just nice to see Carter is finally healthy enough to try to fulfill that promise.

[Perfect140]

im so happy for drew cause when he went down many worried his career was done, but with hard work and perseverance it sounds like he's got many years ahead of him

[slickman]

What's even more amazing is that Taylor Stubblefield, the Big Ten's all time leading everything (it seems) was just cut by Carolina. He beats Drew in just about every collegiate category, but not speed, baby.

Personally, I'd like to see Stubblefield get picked up because I'm for Big Ten guys, even if they are from Purdidn't.

[Dryden]

Last night against the Steelers Carter caught 7 passes for 107 yards, including a 43 yard TD from LeFors.

[jwinslow]

http://carolinapanthers.com/news/new...l.jsp?id=22586

Carter gets good reception
December 19, 2005

By Brett Borden
Panthers.com

The Carolina Panthers waited 14 games and three plays to unveil their secret offensive weapon. On third-and-five from his own 35-yard line, quarterback Jake Delhomme fooled the New Orleans Saints defense by throwing deep to second-year wide receiver Drew Carter. Carter hauled it in for a 40-yard completion. <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="200"> <tbody><tr> <td>
</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td class="caption">
Drew Carter hauls in his first NFL reception, good for 40 yards. (AP Photo) </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> It was a play Carter had made many times in mini camp, training camp, the preseason, and even practices recently. To do it in a game that counts fired up the Panthers sideline.
"Getting a big play like that and getting him his first NFL catch, that's big," said Delhomme. "I don't know if you noticed, but the other guys got extremely fired up for him. He's a kid that works hard, and everybody got excited."
Even the defensive players were excited. It was fun for them to see Carter fly by someone else for a change.
"He has been killing us in practice," said safety Mike Minter. "He has been making plays on our defense and really looking good. I told him today before the game that it's just like practice and not to put any more pressure on himself. He took advantage of his opportunities. It's a good thing to see young guys step up and make the most of their chance."
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="200"> <tbody><tr> <td>
</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td class="caption">
Teammates like Mike Minter were glad to see the Drew Carter they had seen in practice appear in a game. (Getty Images) </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>For a while, it looked like Carter might not get a chance. He spent his entire rookie season in 2004 on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury during summer school sessions. A fifth-round draft choice from Ohio State, he was almost an afterthought when the Panthers traded for veteran wide receiver Rod Gardner at the onset of training camp. But Carter kept making plays, leading the team with 16 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns during the preseason.
"He is a guy with a lot of speed," said Delhomme. "We need to get him the ball. He's a big, tall target who can run. When you can go four wides, it's kind of nice."
Four wide receivers can stretch a defense, provided all of them are perceived as legitimate threats to catch the ball. Carter had never even appeared in a regular season game before Sunday, never mind catch a pass.
"It feels good," he said. "I was just excited to get dressed, let alone play," Carter said. "I was more anxious than nervous. I went in there hoping I would get dressed and get in the game. All year long I was thinking, Maybe this week, maybe this week, maybe this week.' I just tried to hang in there and practice hard."
He caught a second pass for eight yards Sunday, which also provided a first down. Now that he has gotten his feet wet in the regular season, he hopes he can contribute in the clutch as the Panthers prepare for two very big games this week and next.
"Hopefully, we keep doing it," said Carter. "I hope the coaches have confidence that we can do four wides consistently. We work hard as receivers and we know we can play. I think we showed that today."