I can't believe that it's been over two months since I traveled to Canton to see Cris Carter inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I will probably revisit that weekend and Carter's incredible day many, many times. I was prompted to do so now when I saw this quote from Carter:
"I catch the ball. You throw the ball, I catch it. Throw it close to me, I catch it. If you make me do something crazy to catch it, I catch it."
Cris Carter's amazing ability to perform the supposed simple task of catching a football is what made me appreciate him so much. He had the best hands that I've ever seen. I can't recall ever seeing him drop a pass. If he could get those hands on the ball, it was a catch. Too many receivers take this essential skill for granted (terrell owens). It's unbelievable. Carter never took it for granted. He worked as hard on his pass catching at the end of his career as he did at the beginning. Catching hundreds of balls after practice. Hundreds one-handed. Hundreds with both hands. He was probably better a catching the football with one hand than many receivers (terrell owens) catching with both hands. He took nothing for granted. He also took care of his hand. Hot wax to keep them soft. That sort of thing.
It wasn't just his emphasis on catching the ball that made him great. It was his attention to all of the little details involved in playing the position of receiver. Route running, body positioning, footwork. He worked on all of the things that got a receiver open. Then his hands finished the job. It was amazing to see him put it all together on a football field. I wish that more receivers practiced the little things.
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