Going Deep: How Wide Receivers Became the Most Compelling Figures in Pro Sports

Before he became one of ESPN’s innumerable NFL analysts, Carter was a Hall of Fame wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. Readers might expect prideful boasting disguised as analysis in this book, but never fear. Carter, with an assist from ESPN journalist Chadiha, lays down solid support for his claims in the book, mixing interviews from players and coaches (both current and former) with his own experiences. According to the author, during the 1990s, football changed. Teams needed to find ways to beat talented defensive players like Deion Sanders, who eliminated half the field, calling for a different kind of receiver. This produced a breed of tall, athletic players who were influenced by basketball, which fed TV coverage that was hungry for stars. The change affected teams (who invested money in busts like David Boston) and players (like Chad Johnson, who became consumed with his image). Carter devotes some space to his own career—describing his relationships with two legendary receivers: Randy Moss, his temperamental teammate with the Vikings, and the mature Larry Fitzgerald, whom Carter first met as a teenager—but ultimately this is a well-constructed, insightful look at the modernization of pro football. Two 8-page b&w photo inserts. Agent: Peter Steinberg, Steinberg Agency. (Aug.)