Teams played for:
- Kansas City Chiefs; 1992-1998
- Denver Broncos; 1999-2000
- Minnesota Vikings; 2001
- New Orleans Saints; 2002-2003
- Baltimore Ravens; 2004-2005
In terms of longevity, Dale Carter may have a case to be above anybody on this list. He also has multiple Pro Bowls. Such accolades aren’t shocking given what he did when he joined Tennessee football in 1990. Carter was a junior college transfer, joining defensive ends Chuck Smith and Chris Mims, recruited by Johnny Majors to help immediately shore up a young, thin defense.
Coming off an SEC Championship season, Carter did his part. He helped UT repeat as SEC champs in 1990 and earned back to back All-American honors with nine interceptions, a pick-six and a kickoff return for a touchdown.
With that play, Carter was taken in first round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and he immediately made an impact with two punt return touchdowns and seven interceptions, including a pick-six as a rookie.
At 6’1″ 194 pounds, Carter emerged as the starting cornerback in KC, and in 1994, he began en epic four-year run in which he made four straight Pro Bowl appearances. He became the highest-paid defensive back, but playing for four teams in seven years, he could never match his production in Kansas City.
Carter missed all of 2000 due to an off-the-field issue and all of 2004 due to an injury. Still, he was on an NFL roster for 14 seasons, and during that time, he appeared in 157 games and started in 127 of them while coming away with 24 picks. He also established a legacy, as his son, Nigel Warrior, just finished a great senior season with UT.