Cris Carter: Larry Fitzgerald is the only receiver with hands like mine

[BLUE 1,026]

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 16, 2013, 10:50 AM EST

 

Newly elected Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter isn’t shy about proclaiming himself the receiver with the best hands in the history of the game. But he’s gracious enough to acknowledge that there’s one receiver who’s in the same ballpark.

 

In a first-person feature written with Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Carter says that Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the one and only receiver whose hands are worthy of being compared to Carter’s own.

 

“Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is the only person I’d say is comparable. I have never said anybody had better hands than me. No, I haven’t seen that. Catching the football is a gift. You can’t teach that. But Larry is the only one that’s comparable,” Carter said.

 

Although Carter won’t win any awards for humility, the first-person feature is a fascinating look back at his career. He mentions, for instance, that he admires his old coach Buddy Ryan and thinks Ryan has gotten a bum rap for cutting Carter in Philadelphia and saying, “All he does is catch touchdowns.”

 

“If I can go back in time, I’d probably go right before Buddy Ryan cut me, to change it. I would do exactly what I did with the Vikings [get clean, which would have meant] I never would have come to the Vikings,” Carter said. “I knew exactly what Buddy was doing. He told me he would never reveal my past [drug and alcohol abuse] to anyone. Someone asked him a question, ‘Why did you cut him?’ And he said, ‘Well, he only caught touchdowns. He wasn’t a complete receiver.’ It was what he decided to do to try to protect me.”

 

Carter also puts the blame for the fact that he never got to a Super Bowl squarely on a pair of teammates who blew a pair of plays in the 1998 NFC Championship Game loss to the Falcons.

 

“If I can change one thing about my life, Gary Anderson would make that damn kick,” Carter said. “And then Jimmy Hitchcock would not get beat on a third and 9 on an out and up.”

 

Fifteen years doesn’t seem to be long enough for Carter to get over that loss.

 

Source: ProFootballTalk

[Omerta+ 1,206]

[Dutch 874]

A ring doesn't validate you as the best in something. Even though Rice is the G.O.A.T doesn't mean he was the best in any particular category; he was just the best all around complete receiver. I've seen some catches by Larry Fitzgerald that were simply outstanding. I'm not sure if Rice would have come down with some of those catches.

Edited February 16, 2013 by dutchff7

[Omerta+ 1,206]

A ring doesn't validate you as the best in something. Even though Rice is the G.O.A.T doesn't mean he was the best in any particular category; he was just the best all around complete receiver. I've seen some catches by Larry Fitzgerald that were simply outstanding. I'm not sure if Rice would have come down with some of those catches.

 

No I was not really trying to emphasize the ring, just the only one that conveyed my point. And Jerry Rice made some insane catches ones that I dont think Larry or anybody but him could have made. He has the best hands of any receiver ever imo.

[Dutch 874]

No I was not really trying to emphasize the ring, just the only one that conveyed my point. And Jerry Rice made some insane catches ones that I dont think Larry or anybody but him could have made. He has the best hands of any receiver ever imo.

 

Cris Carter still has that spot imo as the receiver with the best hands; insane catches. Larry is definitely more athletically gifted then Rice was and I've seen him catch some incredible balls and I'm not sure Rice would have been able to make a play on the ball. If the ball touched Rice's hands, you knew it was a catch. Rice had reliable hands. Don't get me wrong, he made some awesome catches as well, but I wouldn't have him as having the best hands. Ideally, all of these guys have great and reliable hands but to qualify having the title as the best hands, the difficulty of the catch plays a huge part. Rice had some pretty accurate QBs and didn't have to go out his way too often for catches; even though when he did have to, he was still capable of making a great catch. I think people forget about Larry Fitzgerald and his amazing catches because of the emergence of Calvin Johnson. Larry Fitzgerald has the best hands in the league and imo and is already being represented as one of the greats having the best hands.

Edited February 16, 2013 by dutchff7

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Him and his 48% catch percentage.

[Plax 4 Prez 21]

First off, I hate when players talk about themselves being this or being that. To me if you're great, or one of the all time greats then let other ppl recongize that and say. Let the media, fans, and critics do the talking.

[Dutch 874]

First off, I hate when players talk about themselves being this or being that. To me if you're great, or one of the all time greats then let other ppl recongize that and say. Let the media, fans, and critics do the talking.

 

Edited February 16, 2013 by dutchff7

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Jerry was amazing, everyone knows that. But I really wouldn't say he excelled at anything other than longevity. He was good at pretty much everything, and worked his ass off every single day. There have been "better" players at WR before, during, and after he played.

[RazorStar 4,025]

If I took the best attributes of receivers to make some kind of a super freak WR, I probably wouldn't use any of Rice's other than his work ethic. He has always had really good everything, but he wasn't the fastest, didn't jump the highest, wasn't the best off press coverage (pretty damn close though), and he didn't have the best hands. But in conjunction, all of his attributes puts him ahead of less balanced guys like Owens, Moss, Carter or Fitzy.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

I think Jerry Rice would be in contention for best route runner with Marvin Harrison.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Yeah, he's close but I'd put Marvin ahead, and probably Torry Holt as well.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Yeah, he's close but I'd put Marvin ahead, and probably Torry Holt as well.

 

Yeah, I was about to edit my post for Holt, maybe Bruce, haha.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Guys like Isaac Bruce, Paul Warfield, Cris Carter, and even Reggie Wayne are/were amazing route runners. Not sure if I would put all of them ahead of Rice, but they are all in the same class.

[Dutch 874]

I think Marvin is a top candidate for best route runner. I'd put Marvin a little ahead of Rice for route running.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Jerry Rice had some kind x factor that can't be quantified or labeled very easy. Jerry Rice was a competitor at the level of Michael Jordan.