Tyrone Carter
Encyclopedia
Tyrone "Chowder" Carter (born March 31, 1976 in Pompano Beach, Florida
) is an American football
defensive back
who is currently a free agent
in the National Football League
. He has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Minnesota Vikings
, New York Jets
, San Diego Chargers
, and Washington Redskins
.
in Pompano Beach, Carter was named Miami Sun-Sentinel
All-County defensive first-team choice as a senior and he also received Miami Herald All-County offensive first team honors as a running back
, gaining 1,349 yards and scoring 23 touchdown
s his senior year.
where he majored in sociology. He was an All-American in 1998
and in 1999
, as well as winning the 1999 Jim Thorpe Award
for best defensive back in college football
, and was a finalist for the 1999 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
which is given to the premier defensive player in the country. He also earned the Carl Eller Award twice, which is given to the Gophers defensive player of the year. In 1998, Carter was named first team All Big Ten conference by both the coaches and the media. During his football career at Minnesota, he recorded 584 tackles (414 solo), which are both NCAA division 1-A records.
Tyrone's cousin Michael Carter also committed to the Gophers in 2009.
out of the University of Minnesota by the Minnesota Vikings. On June 30, 2000, he signed a 3-year contract with the Vikings and had 40 tackles in his rookie
year. He played 3 seasons with the Vikings and would return to the team later in his career when on March 11, 2004 he agreed to terms with his former team. However, on September 5, 2004, Carter was placed on the Vikings injured reserve
list after spraining his knee during the second preseason game, and was expected to be out until October. On September 18, he was taken off the IR and released.
Mo Lewis
and safety Sam Garnes
in order to free up salary cap
space.
In 2005, Carter appeared in all 20 games (16 regular season, 4 postseason) for the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He recorded 3 tackles and a pass defensed in Super Bowl XL
.
The Steelers re-signed Carter on March 27, 2007 to a 3 year, 2.5 million dollar contract, which included a $280,000 signing bonus. After playing the Denver Broncos
in week 7, starting safety Ryan Clark
suffered a life threatening illness in which Clark had to have his spleen and gall bladder removed. Tyrone Carter stepped in to replace Clark for the remainder of the season, starting 5 games in his absence.
The 2008 season saw Carter appear in all 16 regular-season games for the fourth straight season. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in week 17 against Cleveland, in a game in which he had 4 tackles, 2 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown. In Super Bowl XLIII
Carter recorded two solo tackles and earned his second Super Bowl ring.
Carter entered 2009 as the third safety on the Steelers depth chart behind Troy Polamalu
and Ryan Clark. When Polamalu was injured in the first game of the season against the Tennessee Titans
, Carter replaced him in the starting lineup over the next four games. When the Steelers returned to Denver for the first time since Ryan Clark's injury, Coach Tomlin decided to deactivate Clark as a precaution and Carter started in his place. In this game, Carter had two interceptions, returning the first 48 yards for a touchdown. His second interception came with less than a minute to play and sealed the victory for the Steelers. Carter was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort. When Troy Polamalu was re-injured in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals
, Carter took his place and started at the position for the rest of the season due to the injury.
.
On September 5, 2010, Carter was released.
to replace suspended safety Steve Gregory
.
His brother, Tank Carter, was sentenced to five years in prison for not appearing at court for a charge of driving with a revoked license. Rather than report to prison on January 6, 2006, where he was to serve a 6-month prison sentence, he instead traveled to watch his brother play 3 road playoff games and then in Super Bowl XL
. Tank had originally been scheduled to report to jail on December 8, 2005, but Circuit Judge Stanton S. Kaplan allowed him an extra month to spend the holidays with his family and children. When he finally turned himself in on February 13, one week after Super Bowl XL, the judge added 54 months to his original 6-month sentence.
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
High school
At Blanche Ely High SchoolBlanche Ely High School
- Sports :-External links:* -- Official web site...
in Pompano Beach, Carter was named Miami Sun-Sentinel
Sun-Sentinel
The Sun Sentinel, owned by the Tribune Company, is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and all of Broward County, but circulates throughout all of South Florida.-Overview:...
All-County defensive first-team choice as a senior and he also received Miami Herald All-County offensive first team honors as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, gaining 1,349 yards and scoring 23 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s his senior year.
College
Tyrone Carter attended the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
where he majored in sociology. He was an All-American in 1998
1998 College Football All-America Team
The 1998 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and Football News....
and in 1999
1999 College Football All-America Team
The 1999 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly Football News, and CNNSI.com.The College...
, as well as winning the 1999 Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
for best defensive back in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, and was a finalist for the 1999 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
which is given to the premier defensive player in the country. He also earned the Carl Eller Award twice, which is given to the Gophers defensive player of the year. In 1998, Carter was named first team All Big Ten conference by both the coaches and the media. During his football career at Minnesota, he recorded 584 tackles (414 solo), which are both NCAA division 1-A records.
Tyrone's cousin Michael Carter also committed to the Gophers in 2009.
Minnesota Vikings
Tyrone Carter was drafted in the 4th round (122nd overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
out of the University of Minnesota by the Minnesota Vikings. On June 30, 2000, he signed a 3-year contract with the Vikings and had 40 tackles in his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year. He played 3 seasons with the Vikings and would return to the team later in his career when on March 11, 2004 he agreed to terms with his former team. However, on September 5, 2004, Carter was placed on the Vikings injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
list after spraining his knee during the second preseason game, and was expected to be out until October. On September 18, he was taken off the IR and released.
New York Jets
On April 14, 2003, Carter signed as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Jets, where he played for only one season and recorded career highs in tackles (88) and interceptions (2). On March 1, 2004, he was cut along with longtime Jet linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Mo Lewis
Mo Lewis
Morris "Mo" C. Lewis is a former American football player who played linebacker for the New York Jets from 1991 until 2003.-Career:...
and safety Sam Garnes
Sam Garnes
Sam Aaron Garnes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets who currently serves as an assistant special teams coach for the Denver Broncos...
in order to free up salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
space.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On October 20, 2004, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played in 9 games, recording seven tackles. On February 23, 2005, he declared free agency, but on April 5, 2005, he re-signed as an unrestricted free agent to a 2-year contract.In 2005, Carter appeared in all 20 games (16 regular season, 4 postseason) for the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He recorded 3 tackles and a pass defensed in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
.
The Steelers re-signed Carter on March 27, 2007 to a 3 year, 2.5 million dollar contract, which included a $280,000 signing bonus. After playing the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in week 7, starting safety Ryan Clark
Ryan Clark (American football)
Ryan Terry Clark is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
suffered a life threatening illness in which Clark had to have his spleen and gall bladder removed. Tyrone Carter stepped in to replace Clark for the remainder of the season, starting 5 games in his absence.
The 2008 season saw Carter appear in all 16 regular-season games for the fourth straight season. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in week 17 against Cleveland, in a game in which he had 4 tackles, 2 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown. In Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
Carter recorded two solo tackles and earned his second Super Bowl ring.
Carter entered 2009 as the third safety on the Steelers depth chart behind Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
and Ryan Clark. When Polamalu was injured in the first game of the season against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, Carter replaced him in the starting lineup over the next four games. When the Steelers returned to Denver for the first time since Ryan Clark's injury, Coach Tomlin decided to deactivate Clark as a precaution and Carter started in his place. In this game, Carter had two interceptions, returning the first 48 yards for a touchdown. His second interception came with less than a minute to play and sealed the victory for the Steelers. Carter was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort. When Troy Polamalu was re-injured in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Carter took his place and started at the position for the rest of the season due to the injury.
Washington Redskins
On August 23, 2010, Carter was signed by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
On September 5, 2010, Carter was released.
San Diego Chargers
On October 5, 2010, Carter was signed by the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to replace suspended safety Steve Gregory
Steve Gregory
Steve Gregory is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute.Steve Gregory was born in the UK. At St. Paul's School he learned guitar and piano and played clarinet in the school orchestra. He turned down a place at the...
.
Personal
Carter and his wife April have 2 biological children Tyra(4)and Tyree(1)and 3 children from previous relationships; Tyrone: Tyrone Jr. (16) and Tristan (11)/ April: Tyron (12).His brother, Tank Carter, was sentenced to five years in prison for not appearing at court for a charge of driving with a revoked license. Rather than report to prison on January 6, 2006, where he was to serve a 6-month prison sentence, he instead traveled to watch his brother play 3 road playoff games and then in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
. Tank had originally been scheduled to report to jail on December 8, 2005, but Circuit Judge Stanton S. Kaplan allowed him an extra month to spend the holidays with his family and children. When he finally turned himself in on February 13, one week after Super Bowl XL, the judge added 54 months to his original 6-month sentence.