Carter on comeback trail with the Saints

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Dale Carter remembers the life he once led. He remembers the expensive cars, the big house, the clothes, the jewelry, the toys.
"If I wanted it, I got it," Carter said. "Back then I thought material things could make me happy."
These days life is much simpler. Gone are his Mercedes and Escalade, and Carter now drives a 1998 Caprice. The mansion has been replaced with a small condo. And Carter hasn't been near a party in years.
But these days, Carter is playing football again.
Comeback
Nobody is happier to be in the New Orleans Saints training camp this summer. It's the first time Carter has taken part in the summer sessions since 1999 because of his battle with drugs and alcohol and the resulting suspensions.
"A lot of stuff happened," Carter said. "It seemed like everything went down hill."
A four-time Pro Bowl selection and 1992 defensive NFL rookie of the year, Carter ran afoul of the league's drug policy and missed the 2000 season.
Then, after signing a $28 million contract with the Saints last year, Carter was suspended a week before training camp for a repeat violation of the substance abuse policy.
Went into deep debt
On top of that, Carter filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last spring, listing his debts to more than 20 creditors as $4.9 million and his assets as more than $1 million.
"My life could have fallen apart," Carter said. "I'm proud that I've overcome so much."
The bankruptcy filing gave him a clean start, Carter said. It also taught him about money.
"When you're at the top of the world, there are a lot of people claiming to be your friends and ready to help you spend your money," he said. "You think it will never run out, but it does."
These days, Carter never sees his paycheck. It goes directly to his brother, former Saints receiver Jake Reed, who handles Carter's finances. Carter gets an allowance.