Best Michigan football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore

A two-time Consensus All-American, the 1982 Big Ten Player of the Year and three-time top-10 finisher in the Heisman Trophy voting, it’s safe to say that wide receiver Anthony Carter was a bit ahead of his time. Though the Michigan teams of the early 1980s — and that era at large — were known for their rushing attack and defense, Carter came in as a jolt of lightning for the passing game that no opponent was ready for.

Carter made an instant impact at Michigan, though his contributions would take a jump the following year. Still, he had 17 receptions for 462 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. The following year, he came up with 51 receptions for 818 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns. As a junior, he set another career-high with 952 receiving yards to go with eight scores and 50 catches.

He then finished his collegiate career by putting up 43 receptions for 844 yards and eight touchdowns. All the while, he was a stud returner on special teams as he had 79 punt returns for 907 yards along with 63 kick returns for 1,606 yards in his career.

Carter left Michigan as the career leader in receptions with 161 (now No. 5), receiving yards with 3,076 (now No. 2) and receiving touchdowns with 37 (now No. 2). He ushered in a new era of football in Ann Arbor and, frankly, was the first star at wide receiver, which has since become a longstanding pastime in the Wolverines program.