‘I SEE MYSELF AS A UNIQUE TALENT’
Colourful wide receiver Duron Carter has been everything expected and more during his first season with the Roughriders. The always smiling Carter chatted with Rob Vanstone about his desire to win and how much he enjoys playing football in Regina.
Q You nearly had an interception (against the B.C. Lions on Aug. 13). You’ve thrown a pass this season. You’ve already caught several touchdown passes. What’s next?
A I’ve got to kick one. I’ve got to run one in. Maybe recover a fumble. A return ... I just want to win. Anything I can do to help the team win, I’ll be out there.
Q Does Ed Gainey owe you one for making that interception in front of you in the B.C. game?
A He definitely owes me one, because it was right in my hands. He jumped over me. I could have got a concussion from that play.
Q Have you ever had an interception?
A Those were my first defensive plays ever. I had never played defence before in my life. I just sort of got a handle on it.
Q You didn’t even play defensive back in high school or Pop Warner football?
A Nope. I played quarterback and receiver growing up. I liked playing quarterback a lot. I never played defence, but I was always physical. We’ve had some injuries over there at DB. I just told coach (Chris) Jones I could go over there and play, and he had enough trust in me to put me out there.
Q Can you be one of those twoway players who is a throwback to the 1950s?
A That’s what I want to be. I’ve always seen myself as a unique talent in football and, hopefully, I can just be utilized as such.
Q How much do you want an interception now that you’ve come so close to one?
A Bad (laughs). I don’t know. If I’m in there, I don’t think teams will be throwing to my side. Hopefully I can scare them away.
Q If you have played quarterback in the past, why are you 0-for-1 this year?
A Because Bakari (Grant) stopped running (laughs). He’s supposed to keep on running and I would hit him for a touchdown and we’d have a touchdown celebration. He didn’t trust me and I overthrew him. That’s why I’m 0-for-1.
Q When did you last throw a touchdown pass?
A Definitely in high school. I had (a 37-yard completion) last year in Montreal but B.J. (Cunningham) didn’t score. (Roughriders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., a former Alouette, interjects: “I saw it.”)
Q People are still talking about The Catch — the one-hander against Toronto. How viral did that go?
A It was pretty big. I gave the ball to Paige (Hansen, a 12-yearold cancer survivor). The whole story took off. It was pretty crazy. For me, it was just a regular catch. I like messing around out there. I like catching it behind my back all the time. It was just fun that it happened in a game.
Q I talked to you before the season and you said your dad (Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter) was more of a onehanded catch specialist while you were more of a two-handed catch guy — and then you make the one-handed catch of the year. What’s going on here?
A To tell you the truth, I don’t even know. I just closed my eyes and put my hand up there and it stuck. Hopefully I can get more. I want to catch one flush. I sort of dropped it and caught it again. I’ve got to get one completely flush and just hold it out there so everybody can see.
Q Was that your best catch ever?
A That’s my best one-hand catch. I had one in Hamilton in my rookie year where I caught it completely upside down on the sideline. That’s probably my favourite one.
Q How are you enjoying your first year as a Rider?
A I like it. They let me be me. I get to do everything I want in Regina. I have fun. There’s great eating, great people. It’s nice and chill. I love it.