Memorable year for Cris Carter winding down with son’s CFL playoff game on ESPN3

ESPN NFL analyst Cris Carter had one thing in mind when he returned to Minnesota last night to be honored at a ceremony presenting him with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring: gratitude.

“Once you are selected for induction into the Hall of Fame in February, there are several things that take place – you get your jacket, you get your bust, you go through the induction ceremonies in Canton, and the last thing is the ring,” Carter told Front Row. “Presentation of the ring is the last process, but it also has to do with the team you played for because it is the only part of these ceremonies that you do back for your hometown team. It gives you the chance to really appreciate the fans.”

Last night in a halftime ceremony at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis – during the Vikings win over Washington – Carter did just that.

“People spent their hard earned money to watch me play,” Carter said. “I want to tell them thank you for that. I didn’t come from a whole bunch so I appreciate that. When a family decides to come to the Metrodome to watch me play, I plan on giving them their money’s worth so for me, that’s what I’m here for. To tell the fans, thank you.”

The culmination of Carter’s year, highlighted by his election and induction into Hall of Fame, also marks the beginning of his son’s budding career as pro football wide receiver.

Duron Carter, a rookie wideout for the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, will play in his first playoff game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN3).

In the regular season, the younger Carter led the CFL in yards gained with an average of 18.6 yards per catch.

“He’s had a great year. We are very, very proud of him,” Cris Carter said. “I’m watching him as a son. As a coach, I watch his technique and his overall improvement. He hasn’t played a lot of football in three years. For him to be able to be out there, playing in the CFL, a professional league, excelling, that’s really exciting.”

During a year of really exciting things for the elder Carter, that’s saying something.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this story