Rose Bowl Legend Ki-Jana Carter

ROSE BOWL LEGENDS

Ki-Jana Carter

Kenneth "Ki-Jana" Carter (born September 12, 1973) is a former NFL running back who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and later the Washington Redskins. He got his nickname "Ki-Jana" from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa and has gone by that name since he was born. He was a number one overall draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. He was injured during a preseason NFL game, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. The injury robbed him of his speed and led him to be regarded as one of the biggest draft busts of all time, compiling only 1144 rushing yards in 10 seasons.

At Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio, Carter starred in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was an All-American selection.

Carter is currently not under an NFL contract, but he has not officially retired. He played with the Saints in 2004 and recorded 10 carries for 17 yards. Unless he puts together a miraculous comeback, the career of this former #1 overall pick is likely over.

Carter was a standout player at Penn State. Although he left Penn State after his junior year, he is still in the top ten among Penn State running backs, having compiled 2829 yards rushing on 395 attempts and scoring 38 touchdowns. His best single game came against Michigan State in 1994, when he rushed for 227 yards on 27 carries and scored 5 touchdowns. Carter helped lead the 1994 Penn State football team to an undefeated record and a berth in the Rose Bowl. He earned co-MVP honors during the Rose Bowl game, and his highlight from that game was an 83 yard touchdown run on the first offensive play of the game. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting for 1994.