'Dan Carter: The Autobiography of an All Blacks Legend' is out today and it features an interesting tale of an opportunity Carter had to switch sports.
The two-time World Cup winning All Black visited the facilities of the New England Patriots in 2013 for what he thought was simply a tour.
It turned out that the NFL franchise thought it more than that. They believed it was going to be a trial of sorts.
Carter had a torn Achilles tendon at the time though. If it was not for the injury, the out-half says that he may have tried out.
We walked into reception where they welcomed us by name, as if we were arriving for an appointment. The next thing I knew, a couple of scouts came out, and asked, 'Where are your boots?’ They thought I was there to try out for the team! I was floored, and a little wistful. Part of me would have liked nothing more than to give it a shot but I had just torn my Achilles tendon, and was months away from being able to kick again.
They looked downcast, as if they had been misinformed about the purpose of the meeting. It was all so surreal. We chatted with the scouts a little more, then they said: 'Mr Kraft wants to meet with you.’ Mr Kraft was Robert Kraft, the team’s legendary owner who had bought them for £113million in 1994 — at the time the highest price ever paid for a sports franchise. I couldn’t believe that this guy wanted to meet me.
You could see how he’d become so successful, because he cut straight to the point with a series of very direct questions.
"Do you want to play football?""What are you going to bring to this team?"
"Do you think you can make the transition to the NFL?"
I mumbled my way through some answers, looking across to Luke, who seemed equally lost. We spent 10 or 15 minutes talking through the realities of the sport, and whether it was plausible for me to make the transition.
If I’m honest, my interest was piqued a little. I don’t think any competitive athlete could walk into an environment like that, be received in that way, and not feel a desire to rise to the challenge. Who knows what I might have done had I not sustained that injury at Twickenham?
The New Zealander was hugely impressed by his time at the Pats' facility, especially regarding the minute detail into which they went about the kicking process.
Months later, Carter once again ran into Robert Kraft - at the Oscars no less. The Patriots owner maintained his interest in the player, wanting to know if Carter had sent a highlight reel to the NFL team's scouting department.
Carter would sign for Racing Metro the following year, pretty much ending the possibility of an NFL career.
Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
