The top 100 FSU football players: No. 75— tight end Pat Carter

The tight end spot has often been a rather forgotten position in the Florida State offense, but that’s not because there haven’t been some very talented players to man the end of the line. Case in point: today’s entry in our countdown, Pat Carter.

Carter, from Sarasota, Florida, was a four-year letterman for the Seminoles during an important stretch in program history, from 1984-1987, a span of time leading up to and beginning the dynasty from ’87-2001. And Carter, an outstanding blocker with reliable hands, was instrumental in improving the ’Noles from seven wins in his first season to an 11-1 record in his last. 1987 saw FSU finish second in the AP Poll, its highest final ranking in school history to that point.

Carter’s individual accolades began in his junior season, when he was an honorable mention AP All-American in 1986. He followed that up by improving to a second-team AP selection in his senior year, when The Sporting News recognized him as a first-team All-American. Carter was a first team All-South Independent honoree in both ’86 and ’87. Until Nick O’Leary captured consensus All-America honors in 2014, Carter was the only Seminole TE ever to be named a first-team All-American.

A 44-game starter who was undefeated in four bowl games, Carter finished his FSU career with 71 catches for 777 yards and seven scores.

The Detroit Lions made Carter the first Seminole off the board in the 1988 NFL Draft when they chose him in the second round. He had a solid 10-year NFL career before serving as an assistant coach. In 2015, Carter was inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame.