When NFL Hall of Famer and longtime Boca Raton resident Cris Carter reflects on his life, he thinks of the coaches who pushed him to be the best he could be on and off the field.
“I didn’t grow up with a father in the home,” he says. “My coaches became very, very important as far as what I was doing. The first real strong influence had to be my high school coach. His ability to push me outside of what I thought my ability would be was what really lit a spark in me and helped me realize that I wanted to be involved in coaching.”
Last fall, Carter got his wish when Florida Atlantic University (FAU) football coach Tom Herman hired him to be the executive director of player engagement. Though he is considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Carter is also regarded as someone who is gifted at using his own experiences to teach and reach young men wherever they are.
“Cris is one of the most selfless people I have ever met,” says former University of Florida coach Urban Meyer. “He [was] always willing to help a young person who was in need.”
And he’s willing to do it pretty early in the morning. When players come for practice at 6:30 a.m., Carter says he is there, the way his old coaches were, ready to talk about what it takes to be successful and how to best use the resources around them to accomplish their dreams. “I’m always checking on them, making sure they understand how important their overall growth is to us in the program,” he says.
But he’s also helping student athletes see beyond a life full of Xs and Os. According to the NFL, only 1.6 percent of NCAA players make it to the professional level, so Carter works with athletes to make sure they’re enrolled in the best degree programs for them and encourages them to participate in community service that could lead to future employment in South Florida.
Practicalities aside, there’s still the excitement of the new season. Last year the Owls won four games, but Carter says they’re looking to win double that in their 2024 campaign. With approximately 40 new players and a faster-moving offense and defense, Carter shares that the team has made great strides.
“We’re very, very excited about the potential of this season and very excited about the future,” Carter adds. “We do believe that we can be fighting for our conference championship this coming November.” «
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