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University of Minnesota Athletics
CARTER NAMED GOLDEN GOPHER FOOTBALL TEAM MVP
11/22/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bidding to become the first Golden Gopher since Bobby Bell (1961 & 1962) to earn back-to-back first-team All-America honors, Carter set a new NCAA Division I-A record for career tackles by a defensive back. His 511 career tackles breaks the old mark of 481 set by Tulane's Mike Staid from 1991-94. With 397 career solo tackles heading into the Golden Gophers' bowl game, Carter is ranked second on the all-time list for any position behind Ball State's Greg Garnica (1986-89) who had 401 career solo stops.
A native of Pompano Beach, Fla., Carter ranks second in the Big Ten with a team-leading 127 tackles in 1999, including 99 solo stops. The consummate team player, he is also a record-breaking kick returner (averaged a single-season school record 26.8 yards per return in 1997) and punt returner (has a school single-season record 356 yards in punt returns thus far in 1999) for the Golden Gophers, not to mention the fact that he is a member of the team's kick coverage unit as well. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career today after registering a season-high 16 tackles in the Golden Gophers' 25-21 win at Iowa Saturday.
Carter is a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (outstanding defensive player at any position in college football) and Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back in college football).
This year's awards and honorees are:
BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD (presented to the team's most valuable player):
Tyrone Carter (strong safety, senior, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
CARL ELLER AWARD (presented to the team's outstanding defensive player):
Tyrone Carter
BRUCE SMITH AWARD (presented to the team's outstanding offensive player):
Thomas Hamner (running back, senior, Hamilton, Ohio)
BOBBY BELL AWARD (presented to the outstanding special teams player):
Dan Nystrom (placekicker, freshman, New Hope, Minn.)
BUTCH NASH AWARD (for competitiveness on the field and in the classroom):
Ben Mezera (linebacker, junior, Waupaca, Wis.)
PAUL GIEL AWARD (for total unselfishness and most concern about the University of Minnesota):
Ben Hamilton (center, junior, Plymouth, Minn.)
NEIL FREDENBURG AWARD (courage and love for the game):
Sean Hoffman (linebacker, junior, Fargo, N.D.)
DEFENSIVE DEMO (for outstanding performance on the defensive demonstration team):
DaVonta Bell (linebacker, freshman, McDonough, Ga.)
OFFENSIVE DEMO (for outstanding performance on the offensive demonstration team):
Ben Utecht (wide receiver, freshman, Hastings, Minn.)
