Fansided

10 best Michigan alumni in NFL history

By Russell S. Baxter

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1991: Anthony Carter #81 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball during an NFL football game circa 1991. Carter played for the Vikings from 1985-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1991: Anthony Carter #81 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball during an NFL football game circa 1991. Carter played for the Vikings from 1985-93. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

6. Anthony Carter

He was one of the all-time greats at Ann Arbor. In four seasons at the University of Michigan, wide receiver Anthony Carter totaled 161 receptions for 3,076 yards (19.1 average) and 37 touchdowns. He scored at least seven TDs in each of his four years.

While he was spent 11 seasons in the National Football League with the Vikings (133 games) and Lions (7 games), Carter’s professional career actually began with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers. He spent three seasons in the league, helped the Panthers win a title in ’83 and totaled 1,000-plus yards twice. The Miami Dolphins made him a 12th-round draft choice in 1983 after the fact.

In 1985, Carter played a full season in both the USFL and NFL. His first campaign with the Vikings saw him finish with 43 catches, good for 821 yards and eight scores. The final NFL totals for the three-time Pro Bowler added up to 486 receptions for 7,733 yards and 55 scores, the vast majority of that with the Purple Gang.

Carter’s biggest moment came in the 1987 NFC Divisional Playoffs at San Francisco. In a 36-24 upset of the 49ers, he finished with 10 catches for 227 yards and also managed a 30-yard run.

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