Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter almost saw his career derailed at the hands of drugs and alcohol.
When he saw his son, Duron, falling down his own slope, which included four different colleges in four years, he was understandably concerned.
"I was scared to death, I really, really was," Cris told The Indianapolis Star. "I've seen so many talented athletes not do it the right way. ... I know so many people who have tremendous regret in their life. And I felt like if he was not able to play in the NFL, he would have had a tremendous amount of regret, no matter what kind of career he went into. He would still have regrets that he should have played some amount of time in the league. He had the ability and the opportunity. And that would make it hard to move on in life."
Duron stands out as one of the NFL's most curious players this summer. At 6-5, with an obviously phenomenal pedigree, he could be a quiet star on a Colts roster that is already loaded at wide receiver.
If Duron turns into an actual weapon at that size, Andrew Luck may very well be the most fortunate quarterback in football.
Then again, Duron has a lot to overcome. He moved once due to a failed drug test and moved again after some serious academic issues. Work ethic has been questioned on his way to a place that he knows is his last shot.
He considers himself lucky to have Cris there to explain what can happen if he turns his life around.
"He knows everything," Cris said of Duron. "He knew at an age that was appropriate. By the time he got to high school, that's when we started sharing with him (about) the substance abuse. I told him, 'I'm an alcoholic.' ... I've been really, really honest and transparent."
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