Quincy Carter

Infobox NFLactive
name=Quincy Carter


width=
caption=
currentteam=Kansas City Brigade
currentnumber=3
currentpositionplain=Quarterback
birthdate=birth date and age|1977|10|13
birthplace=Bloomington, Illinois
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=213
debutyear=2001
debutteam=Dallas Cowboys
college=Georgia
draftyear=2001
draftround=2
draftpick=53
pastteams=
* Dallas Cowboys (2001-2003)
* New York Jets (2004)
* Montreal Alouettes (2006)*
* Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (2007)
* Kansas City Brigade (2008-present):*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
status=Active
highlights=
* SEC Freshman of the Year (1998)
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=TD-INT
statvalue1=32-37
statlabel2=Yards
statvalue2=6,337
statlabel3=QB Rating
statvalue3=71.7
nfl=CAR716441

Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter (born October 13, 1977) is an Arena football quarterback for the Kansas City Brigade. [http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3633299 Brigade Sign Quarterback Quincy Carter] ] He has previously played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets, for the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings of the arenafootball2 league, and briefly signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL on April 4, 2006, only to be released one month later. Carter's career has been marred by several drug-related arrests and frequent allegations of drug abuse.

Early years

Carter was born in Illinois and had a stellar high school football career at Southwest DeKalb High School in Georgia, becoming well-known in the Atlanta area.

Baseball career

Carter originally signed a football letter of intent with Georgia Tech in 1996, but opted instead to play minor league baseball after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs as an outfielder 52nd overall in the 1996 amateur draft.

With the Gulf Coast Cubs of the rookie league in 1996, Carter played in 55 games and hit .215. The following year, Carter was promoted to the Rockford Cubbies of Single-A and hit .211 in 105 games. He appeared in 28 games for Rockford in 1998, hitting .248 in 27 games. His final year in 1999, he went 0-for-3 in one game for the Daytona Cubs of Advanced A ball.

College career

Struggling with his baseball career, Carter went to the University of Georgia college football program in 1998.

Carter won the starting job at Georgia in a highly contested battle (over future Oklahoma starter, Nate Hybl, among others) and after an excellent freshman season was recognized as one of the top young quarterbacks in NCAA football. He had a decent sophomore season but was mediocre as a junior due to injuries and inconsistencies.

Carter declared himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior season and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2nd round as the 53rd pick of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Carter became the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys team as a rookie, being part of a succession of short-tenured quarterbacks following the retirement of Troy Aikman. The highlight of his rookie season was a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants in which Carter threw for nearly 200 yards, scrambled for a key first down late in the game, and tossed the game-winning touchdown pass to veteran tight end, Jackie Harris. Dallas would sign another young quarterback and former baseball player, Chad Hutchinson, following Carter's rookie season. He lost the starting job during his second season to Hutchinson after a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in which he engaged in a heated sideline discussion with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. However, in his third season, under newly-hired head coach Bill Parcells, Carter retook the starting job and led the Cowboys to a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance. Hutchinson was released the next season after playing in NFL Europe.

Carter was released on August 4, 2004 in the offseason under unclear circumstances. The field of quarterbacks for the Cowboys in that offseason had expanded with the trade for yet another former baseball player, Drew Henson, and the acquisition of Vinny Testaverde off of waivers. Before Carter's release, it had been projected that Carter had a slight edge over Testaverde for the starting spot and that former third-string quarterback, Tony Romo, would be released. Many believe Carter was released because of a failed drug test, and Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said that for reasons including but not limited to his drug problems Carter could not be trusted with the leadership of the team. The official Cowboys statement regarding his release was a failed drug test, a poor attitude over the signing of Vinny Testaverde, and an average performance during the first week of training camp.

New York Jets

After being released by the Cowboys, Carter was signed to a one-year contract with the New York Jets where he served as a backup to Chad Pennington and started three games (winning two) after Pennington suffered a rotator cuff injury. He suffered a drug relapse during the playoffs of the 2004 season and has since received treatment for drug addiction and bipolar disorder in Houston. The Jets released him during the 2005 offseason, and he currently lives in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Carter's release by the Cowboys is currently subject to an arbitration hearing by the NFLPA. He officially filed his retirement papers in September 2005 but has stated he intends to return to the NFL.

Montreal Alouettes

On April 4, 2006, Carter was signed by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to a one year contract with an option for 2007 only to be released by the team the following month. [cite news | title = Alouettes Sign ex-NFL QB Carter | url = http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1144144328656&call_pageid=1044529390736 ] On being cut, Carter remarked, "This is a joke... an insult." No other football team has signed Carter since his release and one CFL club official told the "Montreal Gazette" that Carter has "a serious marijuana problem." [ [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=48b641b8-1607-4805-9b04-c5e840f36dd4 Carter steams after Als release him ] ]

On December 15, 2006 Carter was arrested in Irving, Texas on possession of marijuana charges. He was released in lieu of a $500 bond paid by Dallas-Fort Worth area sports talk-show host and journalist, Randy Galloway. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2698751 ESPN - Former QB Carter arrested for marijuana possession - NFL ] ]

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings

In February 2007, Carter signed with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, of af2. [ [http://www.sunjournal.com/story/197306-3/Sports/Quincy_Carter_signs_af2_deal/ SunJournal.com - Quincy Carter signs af2 deal ] ] Through the first three games of the 2007 season, he was the third rated passer, with a rating of 124.3, throwing 18 touchdown passes, but he was suspended indefinitely from the team in late May for missing team meetings. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/stories/051907dnspotaylor.383b0f8.html Carter throwing away a career] ] Rumors swirled that Carter had quit the team, [ [http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/BREAKINGNEWS/70526003 Report: Carter won't return to Battle Wings] ] but Battle Wings coach Jon Norris named Carter the starting quarterback for their June 16 game against Corpus Christi. Carter passed for a franchise-record eight touchdown passes in the Battle Wings'81-35 win. [ [http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070618/SPORTS/706180301/1001/SPORTS&GID=L8ubJlM+duIremIq6yMYtACg1IcsmagRniDS7mRPMog%3D Battle Wings' defense shines in win] ]

Carter was arrested on marijuana possession charges by Shreveport police on October 12, 2007. [ [http://www.fox44.com/sports/10516342.html Battle Wings QB Carter Arrested for Possession of Marijuana] ] Because the incident marked the second time Carter was arrested for the same crime, the charge is a felony. Carter was released early Saturday, his 30th birthday, on bond of $5,224, according to an official in the records department at the Caddo Correctional Facility.

Kansas City Brigade

On June 2nd, Carter signed with the Arena Football League's Kansas City Brigade. The Brigade, who had one victory at the time of the signing, are clearly hoping Carter's big name and big arm can resurrect their season. Herm Edwards, the current Kansas City Chiefs head coach who coached Carter while in New York, commented on Carter's personality calling him a "high character" kind of guy. Carter started the last 3 games of the season for Kansas City and was signed to a 2-year contract extension. [ [http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3666128 Quincy Carter signs two year extension through 2010] ]

On July 31, Carter had a workout with the Miami Dolphins. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3513203 Dolphins bring in former Cowboys QB Carter for workout] ]

References