Ki-Jana Carter facts for kids
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | September 12, 1973 Westerville, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 226 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Westerville South | ||||||||||||
| College: | Penn State (1992–1994) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Ki-Jana Carter (born September 12, 1973) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. Ki-Jana played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. There, he was named an All-American and was the MVP of the 1995 Rose Bowl.
The Cincinnati Bengals chose Carter as the very first player in the 1995 NFL draft. Sadly, he faced many injuries throughout his career. He missed most of his five seasons with the Bengals. Later, he played in a smaller role for the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints.
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Early Life and Nickname
Ki-Jana Carter was born in Westerville, Ohio. His unique nickname, "Ki-Jana," comes from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa. He has been called by this name since he was born.
High School Sports Star
At Westerville South High School, Ki-Jana was a talented athlete. He excelled in football, basketball, and track. In 1991, he was even named a high school All-American by Parade magazine for his football skills.
College Football Career
Ki-Jana Carter played college football at Pennsylvania State University. He was a key player for coach Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions football teams from 1992 to 1994. He played alongside other future NFL stars like Kerry Collins and Kyle Brady.
Undefeated Season and Rose Bowl MVP
In 1994, Ki-Jana and his teammates had an amazing season. They went undefeated with a 12–0 record. This led them to play in the 1995 Rose Bowl.
During his time at Penn State, Ki-Jana rushed for 2,829 yards and scored 34 touchdowns. His best game was against the Michigan State Spartans in 1994. He ran for 227 yards and scored five touchdowns in that game.
In the 1995 Rose Bowl, Ki-Jana was named co-MVP. He rushed for 156 yards and scored three touchdowns. On the very first play of the game, he ran for an incredible 83-yard touchdown. This is one of the longest runs in Rose Bowl history.
Leaving College Early
After the Rose Bowl, Ki-Jana's coach, Joe Paterno, encouraged him to leave college early. This was so he could enter the NFL draft. It was unusual for Coach Paterno to suggest this to a player who hadn't graduated.
In December 2014, Ki-Jana Carter was honored for his college achievements. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
Professional NFL Career
The Cincinnati Bengals chose Ki-Jana Carter as the first player picked in the 1995 NFL draft. His running style was compared to famous running back Emmitt Smith. The Bengals traded to get this top pick.
Record-Breaking Rookie Contract
Ki-Jana signed a big seven-year contract worth $19.2 million. This included a $7.125 million signing bonus. At the time, this was the largest contract ever for an NFL rookie player.
He played for the Bengals from 1995 to 1999. After that, he played for the Washington Redskins in 2001. In 2002, he briefly joined the Green Bay Packers but did not make their final team. He finished his career with the New Orleans Saints from 2003 to 2004.
Career Statistics Summary
In his seven NFL seasons, Ki-Jana Carter played in 59 games. He started 14 of those games. He gained a total of 1,144 rushing yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 66 passes for 469 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Battling Injuries Throughout His Career
Unfortunately, Ki-Jana's NFL career was greatly affected by injuries.
- In his very first preseason game as a rookie, he tore a ligament in his knee. This injury caused him to miss the entire 1995 season.
- In 1997, he hurt his left shoulder.
- In 1998, he broke his left wrist and missed the whole season.
- In 1999, he dislocated his right kneecap, which again caused him to miss the entire season.
Life After Football
After his football career, Ki-Jana Carter became an entrepreneur. He also writes about sports as a blogger for OPENSports.com. In 2008, he started his own company called Byoglobe. This company deals with print and promotional marketing materials. He is the chief executive officer of his company, which is based in Sunrise, Florida.
