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Fourteen-year NFL assistant Maurice Carthon begins his first season with the Cardinals after being appointed to coach running backs on 1/29/07. An eight-year NFL veteran as a running back, Carthon spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns after coaching previously for four other NFL teams.
During his two seasons with the Browns, Carthon helped tutor running back Reuben Droughns and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Winslow finished the 2006 season with 89 receptions to lead all NFL tight ends and finish 9th overall in the league. Droughns finished sixth in the AFC in 2005 with 1,232 yards rushing and became the first Browns back since 1985 to top the 1,000-yard rushing plateau.
Carthon joined the Browns in 2005 and led an offensive unit that finished the season ranked 8th in the NFL with 1,601 yards from scrimmage (1,232 rushing and 369 receiving).
He joined Cleveland after serving as the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator for two seasons under Bill Parcells (2003-04). While with Dallas, Carthon oversaw game plan preparations, as well as working with the club's running backs. In 2004 with the Cowboys, Carthon directed an offense that featured tight end Jason Witten, who led the NFC with 87 receptions and 980 yards, rookie first-round draft choice running back Julius Jones, who totaled 819 yards, and quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who threw for 3,532 yards. The Cowboys ranked 14th offensively (324.8 avg.) in the NFL, including 15th passing (214 avg.) and 20th rushing (110.8 avg.).
Prior to his two years with the Cowboys, Carthon served as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator in 2002 after originally joining the team as the running backs coach in 2001. In his two seasons with the Lions, Carthon was instrumental in helping increase the Lions’ running game average in 2001 (4.0 yard avg.) and 2002 (4.1 yard avg.). In addition, running back James Stewart posted a career-best 4.8 avg. in 2001 and then came back in 2002 to record his second career 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,021 yards on 231 carries (4.4 yard avg.).
Before going to Detroit, Carthon served as assistant head coach/running backs coach for the New York Jets in 2000, which followed three years (1997-99) as the Jets' running backs coach under Bill Parcells. During his time in New York, the Jets produced four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from running back Curtis Martin after the franchise had experienced only four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in its first 37 years of existence. The Pro Bowl back rushed for 1,204 yards - his sixth 1,000 yard rushing season - and nine touchdowns in 2000, after setting the team's single season rushing record with 1,464 yards in 1999. Martin also finished third on the team with 45 receptions for 259 yards in 1999. Under Carthon's direction, the Jets averaged 122.6 rushing yards-per-game, ranking seventh in the AFC and 12th in the NFL. Another Carthon pupil, fullback Richie Anderson, was also selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000 after paving the way for Martin’s 1,204 rushing yards.
In 1998, Carthon worked with running backs Keith Byars and Martin, helping Martin to 1,287 yards, his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season and the second best rushing total in club history. Prior to the arrival of Martin, Carthon directed Adrian Murrell to become just the second running back in Jets history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (Freeman McNeil, 1984-85), when he ran for 1,088 yards.
Carthon began his coaching career in New England in 1994 as an offensive assistant on Parcells staff and shifted to coaching the Patriots running backs and was a special teams assistant in 1995. He became the sole running backs coach in 1996. It was with the Patriots that Carthon first became strongly tied to the development of the three-time Pro Bowler Martin. Carthon began working with Martin in 1995, a season which saw the unheralded third-round draft choice set single-season rushing records with 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns on 368 carries becoming the only rookie selected to play in the Pro Bowl, while also garnering Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
A veteran of eight NFL seasons as a player, Carthon began his career in 1985 when he signed with the New York Giants as a free agent. He played the next seven seasons with the team and was a member of the Giants 1986 and 1990 Super Bowl championship teams as a blocking fullback. He finished his NFL playing career with the Indianapolis Colts in 1992. Carthon never missed a game due to injury during his career, and he finished his playing days with 950 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 300 attempts and caught 90 passes for 745 yards and two touchdowns.
Prior to signing with the Giants, Carthon began his professional playing career as an eighth-round draft pick of the USFL's New Jersey Generals in 1983. He played for the Generals for three seasons (1983-85) and totaled 2,102 yards rushing and helped pave the way for Herschel Walker, the league's top rusher. In 1984, Carthon started all 18 games and finished the season with a career-high 1,042 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Carthon twice earned All-Southland Conference honors while starring at Arkansas State University and led the team in rushing with 682 yards as a senior team captain. He attended Osceola (AR) High School and was named the state MVP in basketball and twice earned all-conference honors in football.
Born on April 24, 1961, in Chicago, IL, Carthon earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and science from Arkansas State and was honored as the Osceola Man-of-the-Year in 1991. |
