Alouettes Duron Carter out to prove he's no `me' guy in his CFL return

When Duron Carter hits the practice field as the Montreal Alouettes open training camp Sunday, he will do so carrying a little extra baggage.

During his first go-round as a CFL receiver, Carter made quite an impression in his first two seasons. He was known for his speed, moves and hands that allowed him to become one if the most feared receivers in the CFL.

But there were also whispers behind the scenes that the son of NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter wasn't exactly a team player -- the kind of guy who calculates his receiving average as he's running down the field.

But that baggage might be a lot lighter than people think after Carter returned from a frustrating failed tryout with the Indianapolis Colts.

``When we're talking about the season, team just keeps spilling out of his mouth," says Kevin Glenn, who heads into training camp as the Als starting quarterback. ``Talking to other people, I got the impression he was kind of a `me' guy. I've never once got that impression in the conversations I've had with him. He wants to win. I'm happy to hear that from him."

Whether he's now a team-first guy or not, there's no doubt that Carter is heading into his CFL Career Redux with a positive attitude. He practically gushes thinking about his return to Montreal.

``I loved Indy and they gave me a great opportunity and I learned a whole lot," says the 25-year-old Florida native. ``They just had a different plan for me than what I wanted.

``I felt to get into a better situation ... playing is my best bet and not betting on other people and how they feel. It's a whole lot of politics and things I didn't realize existed. I just wanted to play football and Montreal allows me to do that."

While the reference to politics might lead one to believe that Carter's a tad bitter about his not-so-excellent adventure in the NFL, he says it has made him a better receiver.

Going up against the likes of Pro Bowl defensive back Vontae Davis every day during training camp and getting high-level coaching will pay off, he insists. So will carrying an extra 20 pounds from his CFL days, up to 220 on his 6-foot-5 frame.

``I feel I'm a lot better player," he says. ``I'm older, I feel like I'm faster, I'm bigger ... I feel pretty good about what's going to come this season. Everybody tells me I've gotten taller, too.

``I do like being a little bit slimmer and faster, but I think it hurt me as far as being durable and lasting a whole season."

The NFL dream is on hold, he insists, with the Alouettes being his sole focus.

``I see myself playing against Winnipeg in my first game," he says. ``That's all I can see, man. If the NFL happens, it happens.

``If it doesn't and I finish my career here in the CFL, I'd think I had a pretty good career in the CFL. I just want to play. It's not about money or being famous or being down south and being on TV.

``I just want to play ball."

Another reason for Carter's sunny approach to the season is the innovation that was born in his absence, and partly because of his presence. A missed pass interference call during the 2013 East semifinal was one of the reasons the CFL brought in replay review for that very infraction last year.

It should make life easier for receivers, says Carter, who admits he thinks about that play (``the worst call ever") to this day.

``My first year, there were four 1,000-yard receivers," he says. ``Last year, there were a lot. I think you're seeing a significant change and I can't wait. I used to draw a lot of penalties without that rule, so I can't imagine ..."

But he can imagine. He sees himself dominating the league this season and says his main personal goal is ``just get more yards than (Edmonton receiver Adarius) Bowman."

``He's always on top," Carter says. ``I was watching one game in Edmonton and they threw it to him three times in a row. All three downs, a turnover on downs. I'm like, I wish I could get that.

``I want the triple crown, lead the league in catches, touchdowns and yards."

But, as if catching himself sound like a ``me" guy, he changes gears.

``I like getting the ball, but I like winning more," he says. ``Give me the ball one time, I'm going to score. Give it to me two times I'm going to score ...

``I'm all about winning. I lost three games my whole high school career. I went to Ohio State, we lost one game. I went to Alabama, we won a national championship.

``I want to win."

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