'Who wore it best' at Michigan State: No. 81

Ever see a number on a Michigan State football jersey and think of all the great players to wear it? Me, too. In this 99-part daily series, I’ll give you my take on which Spartan football player was the best ever to wear each number. The criteria are simple: How did he perform at MSU? And what kind of impact did he have on the program? 

No. 81 – Nigea Carter

Wide receiver, 1993-96, Coconut Grove, Fla.

Résumé

1993: 12 receptions, 154 yards, 12.8 yards per catch

1994: 16 receptions, 430 yards, 26.9 yards per catch, 3 touchdowns

1995: 20 receptions, 283 yards, 14.2 yards per catch, 2 touchdowns

1996: 33 receptions, 546 yards, 16.5 yards per catch, 5 touchdowns

Total: 81 receptions, 1,413 yards, 17.4 yards per catch, 10 touchdowns

Why Carter?

Nigea Carter never led his team in receiving. He never earned a postseason accolade from the Big Ten Conference. He never won a bowl game and only finished with a winning record at Michigan State once.

One catch solidified his status in Spartans’ lore.

On Nov. 4, 1995, with 1:24 to play, snow flurries blowing through the cold East Lansing air, Carter hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from a scrambling Tony Banks, capping an 88-yard drive to knock off the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines.

Nick Saban got a win over the Spartans’ hated rival in year one. Carter said it was obvious his coach was the happiest man in the stadium as the green-and-white-clad crowd rushed the field.

“That was the only and last time that I think he hugged anyone,” Carter told the Lansing State Journal in 2015.

In his four seasons at MSU, the Coconut Grove, Florida, native caught 81 passes from four different starting quarterbacks: Jim Miller, Tony Banks, Todd Schultz and Bill Burke. Carter tallied 1,413 yards through the air and snagged 10 touchdown grabs.

In the school record books, Carter’s name is only found once. He still ranks 13th all-time in yards per catch with 17.4.

MORE: A LOOK BACK AT NUMBERS 1-80

Even though he was often overshadowed by other big-play wideouts like Muhsin Muhammad, Derrick Mason and Mill Coleman, Carter’s numbers grew each season. His best statistical campaign was his final one in 1996. He finished with 33 receptions for 546 yards and 5 touchdowns.

He knows his highlight moment came during that wild upset inside a brisk Spartan Stadium. The fans know it, too.

"Over the years, you'd think I'd jumped 10 feet in the air," Carter told the LSJ. "The legend grows. But it was just a back-shoulder catch. Once I caught it, I knew I was in and I knew that was it. Everybody just rushed the field. Nothing really can compare to that.”

Carter, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL draft, settled in Michigan after his playing days. He is surprised some people remember him. We aren’t.

"Every now and then I'll be talking to someone or I'll present my credit card at the store and someone will say, 'Are you the receiver?'" Carter said. "I know it's an unusual name and pretty easy to recognize, especially if you're a fan."

Who else wore No. 81 best?

Noel Bufe (E, 1955-56), Sean Clouse (OLB, 1987), Paul Dekker (E, 1951-52), Dwayne Holmes (TE/DE, 2005-08), Brian Howard (WR, 1990-93), Bruce Kulesza (TE, 1968-69), Edward Lothamer (E, 1962-63), Rex Parsell (E, 1947-49), Jason Randall (TE, 2001-04), James Smith (FS, 1981-82), Matt Sokol (TE, current), Brad Sonntag (WR, 2010-11), Bernard Wilson (WR, 1985-88), Barry Zindel (E, 1959)

Contact Cody Tucker at (517) 377-1070 or cjtucker@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @CodyTucker_LSJ.

MORE ON NIGEA CARTER:
* Flashback: Michigan State's Nick Saban beats Michigan on first try
* Couch: MSU's 1995 win over U-M a euphoric false start
* VIDEO: 1995 MSU vs. Michigan game-winning drive