| Ki-Jana Carter, whose NFL career was
ill-fated from the start, was released Thursday by the Cincinnati Bengals. The former
Penn State running back was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 draft but missed that
entire season when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the
preseason.
He played only one game in 1998 after severely fracturing his wrist in the season
opener.
He was sidelined in 1999 when he dislocated his right kneecap in the third game.
"Ki-Jana came into the NFL with tremendous ability, but his injuries took away his
chance to reach his potential," Bengals president Mike Brown said.
"I respect him a great deal for the way he kept battling with a positive attitude
through a lot of adversity. We sincerely wish his association with our team could have had
a more positive outcome."
Carter played in just 32 games in five years and rushed for 732 yards on 221 carries
with 15 touchdowns. He also had 49 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown.
In January, Carter dislocated his kneecap again in a private workout. Team doctors
examined the knee Wednesday and said it would be six to eight weeks — nearly
the start of the preseason — before Carter could return to
practice.
"It’s a shame. I love Ki-Jana. He's a great kid,'' coach Bruce Coslet said.
"But his problem is durability. After hearing the reports from our doctors and the
uncertainty of it, we have to go with other guys."
ProFootballWeekly.com asked contributing editor Joel Buchsbaum to weigh in on the
subject.
Q: Does Carter have anything left to offer a team?
Buchsbaum: I don’t know. He’s coming off another injury. He’s been
jinxed with injuries so much that he’s probably going to be a washout.
ProFootballWeekly.com also asked editor-in-chief Ron Pollack to comment on Carter.
Q: Can you put Carter’s pro career into perspective?
Pollack: In some ways, it’s unfair to make this comparison, but from a
productivity standpoint Carter has been as much of a washout as Ryan Leaf has been to
date. The reason I say that this isn’t fair on a certain level is the fact that this
is through no fault of Carter’s, whereas Leaf’s problems have all been
self-inflicted. The term "bust" is probably inappropriate for Carter since he
never really got a chance to show what he could do. But sensitivity to his bad luck aside,
he gave the Bengals almost no return on a huge investment. If you ignore the reason why,
that is essentially the same tag that Leaf currently wears.
To give you an idea of how much was expected of Carter, in PFW’s 1995 Draft
Preview, we wrote about Carter: "Could be the type of back who carries a
football team." Instead, he was the type of back who hardly ever even carried the
ball, much less a team. In our own defense, we also wrote at the time that he "has
not been very durable in the past." Those durability concerns weren’t enough to
make anyone think Carter would have the troubles he’s had. It was not a stretch for
him to have been the No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft. When they talk about hard-luck players
in the future, Carter will be the guy used as a comparison point. |
