Anthony Carter To Announce Vikings 2nd Round Pick

The Vikings may have finished last in the NFC North the past two seasons, have humdrum expectations for the 2012 season in addition to stadium woes that may ultimately move the team to Los Angeles; however there was one piece of refreshing news that came along today giving us reason to make merry – former Vikings Pro Bowl wide receiver Anthony Carter will announce the Vikings 2nd round pick on Friday evening.

For those under the age of 30 (which a number of our readers are) — Anthony Carter was drafted by the Vikings in the 12th round in 1983 after breaking nearly every receiving record at the University of Michigan. He played in the upstart United States Football League (USFL) before joining the Vikings in 1985. He also went on to make 3 Pro Bowls in 1987 thru 1989 alongside future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

What Vikings fans will most remember about Anthony Carter are two things though. First would be his performance in a 1987 playoff game versus the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers. Few remembered how the 49ers that season were 13-2 having both the best offense and defense in the NFL whereas the Vikings were 8-7. The late great Bill Walsh referred to it as the most humiliating loss of his coaching career. AC was busy that afternoon catching10 receptions for 227 yards from quarterback Wade Wilson. The other lasting memory was how both Anthony Carter and Cris Carter (no relation) both dynamic weapons from 1991 through 1993 as teammates. AC was a mentor to Cris and in interviews Cris has credited AC for helping turn his career around.

It’ll be certainly a lot of fun to see which collegiate player AC announces is now a Viking on Friday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Maybe with a little luck it’ll be the next great Vikings wide receiver. Oh the irony.

Jon Merckle may be followed on Twitter @thevikingpig