Biography

Cherica Adams, a girl he had been dating, was shot four times in a drive-by shooting. Adams was seven months pregnant with Carruth's baby when that occurred on November 16, 1999, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Doctors saved her son, Chancellor, in an emergency Caesarean section, but Adams died a month later on December 14. Born prematurely and in distress, Chancellor has cerebral palsy.

Since being sentenced for conspiracy to commit murder, he has been hit with more bad news. His appeals were rejected, he and his co-defendants were ordered to pay $6 million to Cherica Adams' estate and a judge ruled his son, now 4, cannot be forced to visit him in prison.

First round pick for The Carolina Panthers in 1997. In 1998, with just one season under his belt, he broke his foot and in 1999, he sprained his ankle.

At trial He was defended by David Rudolf. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child, and was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison. Carruth was found not guilty of first-degree murder, and was spared the death penalty. Carruth is now serving a sentence of at least 18 years and 11 months at Nash Correctional Institution near Raleigh, North Carolina.

He was a first-round draft pick (27th overall pick) in 1997 to the Panthers from the University of Colorado, where he had played 4 seasons and was a first team All-American in 1996. He was named to the all-rookie team at wide receiver, along with Reidel Anthony of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.