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Going Deep: How Wide Receivers Became the Most Compelling Figures in Pro Sports
How Wideouts Became the NFL's Standouts From the time Cris Carter started his career as a supplemental draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987 to his retirement in 2002, the position of wide receiver exploded in the NFL. Receivers went from being quiet and classy to being known for their electric play, off-the-field antics, and -- in some cases -- over-the-top personalities. In Going Deep, Carter and ESPN journalist Jeffri Chadiha chronicle the rise of the wide receiver and explain how it became the most complex, compelling, and talked-about position in all of professional sports. Using stories from his own career to offer unprecedented insight into the position, Carter explains the players' unique personalities, how their minds work, and why teams need to understand exactly what they're dealing with when it comes to their wideouts -- the NFL's newest superstars. Told through Carter's opinionated voice, Going Deep covers all the important moments and people -- from Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice, and Keyshawn Johnson to Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Chad Johnson -- who have contributed to this revolution. He also tells stories readers have never heard about their favorite players, shares theories about the position that only get discussed in front offices and locker rooms, and offers revealing explanations on what these players mean to the league today, as well as why the NFL can't go forward without them. "One of the most riveting, insightful football books I've ever read. This book takes you inside the huddle, along the sidelines, and deep into the secret world that is the NFL. Breathtaking work." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys Won "No one understands wide receivers better than Cris Carter, and I loved his book. If you want to understand how we think, and hear inside stories about the most over-the-top athletes in sports, read Going Deep." -- Jerry Rice, Hall of Fame wide receiver"I am so glad someone got Cris Carter to sit down and describe what makes receivers tick. (It's deeper than you think.) You'll get to the last page of this book and say, 'I really learned a lot here--and the pages flew by.' " -- Peter King, senior writer, Sports Illustrated; author of Monday Morning Quarterback; and two-time National Sportswriter of the Year
- GenresSports
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 26, 2013
Rating:
3 of 5 stars (good)
Review
The position of quarterback has long been considered the most glamorous in professional football, but in his new book, Cris Carter makes the case that the position of wide receiver is now the most compelling position. He uses anecdotes from his 16-year career to illustrated how the position evolved from players who simply caught passes to becoming key parts to a well-tuned offense and the players who make the biggest plays that are exciting for not only the scoring on the field, but also for television.
Carter doesn’t just limit the book to his own career. This is not a memoir of his life and career. Instead, he also shares how he mentored two receivers who became superstars at the position, Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald. It is worth noting that both have Minnesota connections as Carter, a long time Minnesota Viking, guided Moss when they were teammates and Fitzgerald, a Minnesota native, was participating in camps and practices with the team. These two individuals are noted to be very different in their mannerisms, yet both illustrate that wide receivers are now the focus of attention for teams who need to improve, for television highlights, and even for their places in history.
Wide receivers such as Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin and Chad Johnson all are given prominent spots in the book as they are the best examples of talented receivers who not only were All-Pro quality, they were also individuals who craved the spotlight and each of them received a great deal of it. They each had both positive and negative experiences with that recognition. Carter uses that craving to make his case of how the wide receiver is now the most compelling player on any pro football team, regardless of who is the quarterback.
When he would either discuss other receivers or explain his position on certain topics such as how he felt about showboating by receivers, rule changes or other hot button topics, there was a surprising lack of depth. While Carter would speak his mind, just like he does on his ESPN telecasts, he offered surprisingly little depth to his position. This is not to say he didn’t have evidence to back up his opinion – it is just that this evidence did not have a lot of detail that would have helped support his stance.
Overall, this is a good book for any NFL fan who enjoys reading about spectacular plays, interesting characters and personal stories. While the book has all of these, there isn’t a lot of research or detailed writing about these receivers. The stories are based mostly on personal interactions and old press reports. That makes for good light reading but not the best way to try to convince the reader that wide receivers are now the most important players in the game today.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
Very good. It was a fast read, and will be for readers who are knowledgeable about professional football.
Positives:
Most books written by professional athletes that focus on the sport they played, their memoirs or something similar offer a unique perspective that a writer who was not a player cannot recapture. This book has that quality as Carter provided a perspective on the position and a few of the players there, especially Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.
Negatives:
The biggest negative that I have with this book is that it doesn’t go into greater details on certain topics. This is especially true on Carter’s reflections on his own life. What lead to his cocaine addiction? How was he really treated in Philadelphia? While he was Randy Moss’ mentor in Minnesota, what was their relationship truly like?
Do I recommend?
Yes, for anyone who enjoys NFL football. What it lacks in details it makes up for in entertainment and like any book that tries to make a bold statement, it will be an interesting conversation piece among armchair quarterbacks
3 of 5 stars (good)
Review
The position of quarterback has long been considered the most glamorous in professional football, but in his new book, Cris Carter makes the case that the position of wide receiver is now the most compelling position. He uses anecdotes from his 16-year career to illustrated how the position evolved from players who simply caught passes to becoming key parts to a well-tuned offense and the players who make the biggest plays that are exciting for not only the scoring on the field, but also for television.
Carter doesn’t just limit the book to his own career. This is not a memoir of his life and career. Instead, he also shares how he mentored two receivers who became superstars at the position, Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald. It is worth noting that both have Minnesota connections as Carter, a long time Minnesota Viking, guided Moss when they were teammates and Fitzgerald, a Minnesota native, was participating in camps and practices with the team. These two individuals are noted to be very different in their mannerisms, yet both illustrate that wide receivers are now the focus of attention for teams who need to improve, for television highlights, and even for their places in history.
Wide receivers such as Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin and Chad Johnson all are given prominent spots in the book as they are the best examples of talented receivers who not only were All-Pro quality, they were also individuals who craved the spotlight and each of them received a great deal of it. They each had both positive and negative experiences with that recognition. Carter uses that craving to make his case of how the wide receiver is now the most compelling player on any pro football team, regardless of who is the quarterback.
When he would either discuss other receivers or explain his position on certain topics such as how he felt about showboating by receivers, rule changes or other hot button topics, there was a surprising lack of depth. While Carter would speak his mind, just like he does on his ESPN telecasts, he offered surprisingly little depth to his position. This is not to say he didn’t have evidence to back up his opinion – it is just that this evidence did not have a lot of detail that would have helped support his stance.
Overall, this is a good book for any NFL fan who enjoys reading about spectacular plays, interesting characters and personal stories. While the book has all of these, there isn’t a lot of research or detailed writing about these receivers. The stories are based mostly on personal interactions and old press reports. That makes for good light reading but not the best way to try to convince the reader that wide receivers are now the most important players in the game today.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
Very good. It was a fast read, and will be for readers who are knowledgeable about professional football.
Positives:
Most books written by professional athletes that focus on the sport they played, their memoirs or something similar offer a unique perspective that a writer who was not a player cannot recapture. This book has that quality as Carter provided a perspective on the position and a few of the players there, especially Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.
Negatives:
The biggest negative that I have with this book is that it doesn’t go into greater details on certain topics. This is especially true on Carter’s reflections on his own life. What lead to his cocaine addiction? How was he really treated in Philadelphia? While he was Randy Moss’ mentor in Minnesota, what was their relationship truly like?
Do I recommend?
Yes, for anyone who enjoys NFL football. What it lacks in details it makes up for in entertainment and like any book that tries to make a bold statement, it will be an interesting conversation piece among armchair quarterbacks
March 1, 2023
This book talks about Cris Carter’s NFL career from the time he was drafted in 1987 until he retired in the early 2000’s. He talks about his life in the NFL in great detail. He explains what it was like when he was released from teams and picked up by teams. Cris also talks about times in his life that weren’t so great. At the end of the day, the book explains the life of one of the greatest players of all time.
I liked almost everything about the book. I'm a big football fan, so hearing what it’s like to be an NFL player is rather interesting. My favorite character in the book is Cris Carter because he wrote the book and the book is mainly about him, although I liked hearing about his teammate Randy Moss. One of my favorite lines from the book is, “I always had a dream that one of my boys would go to Ohio State, “ she said. That was really all I needed to hear.” (Cris Carter 22). This quote is cool because he was determined to go to Ohio State, a prestigious football school, just for his mom to be happy. The characters definitely felt real because it is a non-fiction book and all of the players/people that were mentioned are real people. One of my favorite parts of the book was him talking about his drug addiction and the road to sobriety.
I didn’t dislike anything about this book. Like I said, I am a huge fan of football and all that was talked about was life in the NFL or NCAA so there wasn’t necessarily anything to dislike about the book. If I had to choose anything, it would be the fact that he uses a lot of quotes in the book. “Even the nicknames of that time gave you a good feel of how the fans looked at the NFL: “the no-name defense,""the Steel Curtain,""the doomsday defense.”(Cris Carter 15). That was probably the only thing I disliked about the book and it’s a personal preference too, so nothing was that bad. There were some characters that he mentioned which were kind of irrelevant, but in his eyes they probably weren’t so I'm not really sure. Other than those reasons, the book is extremely readable and there’s not much to dislike about it.
To round up the book review, I think it was a great read and everyone who enjoys football would be very interested in the book. It has a wide variety of different discussions and debates and it keeps you reading. This book is probably to be read by the ages 10+ or so. And finally, I give this book a 5/5. It’s one of the best books I have ever read.
I liked almost everything about the book. I'm a big football fan, so hearing what it’s like to be an NFL player is rather interesting. My favorite character in the book is Cris Carter because he wrote the book and the book is mainly about him, although I liked hearing about his teammate Randy Moss. One of my favorite lines from the book is, “I always had a dream that one of my boys would go to Ohio State, “ she said. That was really all I needed to hear.” (Cris Carter 22). This quote is cool because he was determined to go to Ohio State, a prestigious football school, just for his mom to be happy. The characters definitely felt real because it is a non-fiction book and all of the players/people that were mentioned are real people. One of my favorite parts of the book was him talking about his drug addiction and the road to sobriety.
I didn’t dislike anything about this book. Like I said, I am a huge fan of football and all that was talked about was life in the NFL or NCAA so there wasn’t necessarily anything to dislike about the book. If I had to choose anything, it would be the fact that he uses a lot of quotes in the book. “Even the nicknames of that time gave you a good feel of how the fans looked at the NFL: “the no-name defense,""the Steel Curtain,""the doomsday defense.”(Cris Carter 15). That was probably the only thing I disliked about the book and it’s a personal preference too, so nothing was that bad. There were some characters that he mentioned which were kind of irrelevant, but in his eyes they probably weren’t so I'm not really sure. Other than those reasons, the book is extremely readable and there’s not much to dislike about it.
To round up the book review, I think it was a great read and everyone who enjoys football would be very interested in the book. It has a wide variety of different discussions and debates and it keeps you reading. This book is probably to be read by the ages 10+ or so. And finally, I give this book a 5/5. It’s one of the best books I have ever read.
February 19, 2019
Very nice, philosophic view of what it takes to be a wide receiver in the NFL, how personalities come into the picture (so far as being able to play the position and how playing WR can affect personality or a player), and how playing WR at the elite level can help prepare an individual to face Life challenges. Chris does a very good job of speaking matter-of-factly, maintaining interest, and giving insight while relaying stories, events, and facts he's witnessed in his own experiences and in his relationships with other players.
December 16, 2025
Forgot to log, took me a while but very interesting!!
January 1, 2014
Going Deep by Cris Carter with Jeffri Chadiha is a conventional player memoir with some additional analysis of the recent evolution of the receiver position. While the second half of that premise may sound appealing, Carter's NFL reflections fall firmly into the realm of David Foster Wallace's mass-market "sports-star-'with'-somebody-autobiography and the sections on the position in general contain little original insight. There were a few interesting sections and the book was a quick and rather painless read but there is little for me to recommend for the general football fan because Carter is treading on very familiar territory.
Despite being subtitled "How Wide Receivers Became the Most Compelling Figures in Pro Sports" the book is primarily focused on Carter's playing days. He begins by noting the increasing prominence of wide receivers beginning with rule changes in the late seventies but then follows the rather generic template of the athletic memoir. Carter guides us through his youth career, college career at Ohio State, and sixteen years in the NFL with the Eagles, Vikings, and Dolphins. Thee are some candid passages on his dealings with agent Norby Walters that caused him to leave Ohio State before his senior year and enter the supplemental draft and dealing with substance abuse, but unfortunately even these portions are marred by pedestrian prose and cliched athlete platitudes common to the genre.
Carter does intersperse his life story with some analysis of the position in general.Carter did witness the transformation of the position first-hand over his sixteen seasons in the league, as players such as Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss and the development of the West Coast Offense and multiple-receiver sets changed how receivers were utilized and perceived on and off the field. He looks at several players who changed the position such as Owens, Moss, and current players such as Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. However, he doesn't go far beyond the surface level in explaining how this phenomenon came about. His sections on Moss and Fitzgerald are decent because he knew both players personally but in general he just recounts career highlights that will be familiar to the casual football fan. Going Deep feels geared towards the average fan and anyone looking into more insight into strategic developments on the gridiron should look to books such as Ron Jaworski's Games That Changed the Game and Tim Layden's Blood Sweat and Chalk. He does share a few amusing anecdotes about his teammates and a cogent overview on the increased emphasis of television promoting stars (Carter himself is an active participant given his current role on NFL Countdown) and I wish he devoted more ink to both.
In Sum
Going Deep offers a few amusing insights but in general is a pretty generic account of a career in the NFL. It does contain some additional sections on the position in general but there is nothing new in Carter's explanation of the phenomenon, which is a shame given his knowledge and experience as a receiver. It wasn't a boring read and I finished it quickly but there is very little original content (especially to fans interested in higher-level football strategy) and thus I can't recommend it very strongly.
5/10
Despite being subtitled "How Wide Receivers Became the Most Compelling Figures in Pro Sports" the book is primarily focused on Carter's playing days. He begins by noting the increasing prominence of wide receivers beginning with rule changes in the late seventies but then follows the rather generic template of the athletic memoir. Carter guides us through his youth career, college career at Ohio State, and sixteen years in the NFL with the Eagles, Vikings, and Dolphins. Thee are some candid passages on his dealings with agent Norby Walters that caused him to leave Ohio State before his senior year and enter the supplemental draft and dealing with substance abuse, but unfortunately even these portions are marred by pedestrian prose and cliched athlete platitudes common to the genre.
Carter does intersperse his life story with some analysis of the position in general.Carter did witness the transformation of the position first-hand over his sixteen seasons in the league, as players such as Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss and the development of the West Coast Offense and multiple-receiver sets changed how receivers were utilized and perceived on and off the field. He looks at several players who changed the position such as Owens, Moss, and current players such as Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. However, he doesn't go far beyond the surface level in explaining how this phenomenon came about. His sections on Moss and Fitzgerald are decent because he knew both players personally but in general he just recounts career highlights that will be familiar to the casual football fan. Going Deep feels geared towards the average fan and anyone looking into more insight into strategic developments on the gridiron should look to books such as Ron Jaworski's Games That Changed the Game and Tim Layden's Blood Sweat and Chalk. He does share a few amusing anecdotes about his teammates and a cogent overview on the increased emphasis of television promoting stars (Carter himself is an active participant given his current role on NFL Countdown) and I wish he devoted more ink to both.
In Sum
Going Deep offers a few amusing insights but in general is a pretty generic account of a career in the NFL. It does contain some additional sections on the position in general but there is nothing new in Carter's explanation of the phenomenon, which is a shame given his knowledge and experience as a receiver. It wasn't a boring read and I finished it quickly but there is very little original content (especially to fans interested in higher-level football strategy) and thus I can't recommend it very strongly.
5/10
February 25, 2017
Cris Carter was, by any measure, one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game of football. This book, while presenting nothing too "deep", is a fun read comprised of C.C.'s thoughts about his own career playing WR as well as the teammates and position-mates he interacted with.
If you are looking for "deep football stuff" from this book, then please go elsewhere or risk being severely disappointed. There really is no in-depth analysis in the book whatsoever.
However, "Going Deep" is assuredly a fun read that will bring back much nostalgia to pigskin fans (especially Vikings fans who remember the Carter Years). The sections about guys like Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and even the receivers of today (Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, etc.) are all fun to read and remember those days (whether good or bad).
Overall, this book is a fun read that can easily be finished in a single day or easily a weekend period. Nothing deep whatsoever, but Carter has enough life experiences and opinions to keep it interesting.
If you are looking for "deep football stuff" from this book, then please go elsewhere or risk being severely disappointed. There really is no in-depth analysis in the book whatsoever.
However, "Going Deep" is assuredly a fun read that will bring back much nostalgia to pigskin fans (especially Vikings fans who remember the Carter Years). The sections about guys like Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and even the receivers of today (Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, etc.) are all fun to read and remember those days (whether good or bad).
Overall, this book is a fun read that can easily be finished in a single day or easily a weekend period. Nothing deep whatsoever, but Carter has enough life experiences and opinions to keep it interesting.
March 27, 2014
ok book about his long and distinguished NFL career, some personal difficulties (estrangement from his Mom, substance abuse early in career, getting busted at Ohio State for accepting pay from prospective agent), some distasteful (to me) discussion of how rough it was to have to wait a few years after initial eligibility before getting elected to the Hall of Fame.
And as the subtitle suggests, he does discuss other receivers. If you follow football, I'm not sure any of it will surprise -- even with the ones he knows well, analysis largely at surface level -- Randy Moss and TO and Ochocinco were great athletes but too preoccupied with gaining attention and with their own stats, while Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald exemplify old-school non-diva hard-working competitor, and so on.
Beyond that, receivers became more prominent than running backs when rules changes opened up the passing game (no contact more than 5 yds. beyond line of scrimmage, O lineman can use hands, QB protected from vicious hits........). If you weren't aware of those trends (which is ok -- you can be only a recent or casual NFL fan and still be a good person!), then you'll find the historical part of the book enlightening.
And as the subtitle suggests, he does discuss other receivers. If you follow football, I'm not sure any of it will surprise -- even with the ones he knows well, analysis largely at surface level -- Randy Moss and TO and Ochocinco were great athletes but too preoccupied with gaining attention and with their own stats, while Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald exemplify old-school non-diva hard-working competitor, and so on.
Beyond that, receivers became more prominent than running backs when rules changes opened up the passing game (no contact more than 5 yds. beyond line of scrimmage, O lineman can use hands, QB protected from vicious hits........). If you weren't aware of those trends (which is ok -- you can be only a recent or casual NFL fan and still be a good person!), then you'll find the historical part of the book enlightening.
August 13, 2013
I really enjoy hearing Cris Carter on Mike and Mike in the Morning so I decided to give this book a shot. I did enjoy the book, with reservations. It seems geared toward young football players and specifically wide receivers. Carter seems to do a lot of mentoring and teaching and so the book is written in that voice. If you are the target audience I think you might get a lot out of this book. For just general interest, there are better books about the NFL out there.
April 10, 2015
Here's the deal - this is technically Cris Carter's autobiography, which I didn't know going in. While he does discuss the rise of WRs in the NFL, it's always through the prism of his career, which distorts the picture some. In addition, he's extremely interested in having his say about his famously difficult personality and his rationale for why he was held out of the Hall of Fame for so long. While I thought this book was good, I'm still waiting to read the book I thought it would be.
March 11, 2015
This book takes you on a fun little jaunt through NFL history through the eyes of wide receivers. It's the football fans equivalent of "chick-lit".
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November 24, 2013Amazing story about his life and transformation into the NFL. Cris Carter is the man!
March 26, 2014
Excellent book on the history of the wide receiver. Don't read this to learn more about Cris, though. He did a fine job of mixing in bits of himself into the book but not very revealing.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews