John Carlson (American football)
Carlson in the 2014 NFL season | |||||||
No. 89 | |||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | St. Cloud, Minnesota | May 12, 1984||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
College: | Notre Dame | ||||||
NFL draft: | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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John David Carlson, Jr. (born May 12, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Early years
Carlson was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, though his family moved to Litchfield right after his birth. Carlson graduated from Litchfield High School. As a football player, he was all-state in Minnesota his senior year. He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl alongside fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish players Brady Quinn, Ryan Harris, and Tom Zbikowski. As a basketball player, Carlson was voted to the preseason McDonald's All-American list. He led the Litchfield Dragons to three state basketball titles during his freshman, junior and senior years. Carlson was also an all-state tennis player. His father, John Sr., is the former basketball and tennis coach for the Litchfield Dragons.
College career
Carlson played college football at Notre Dame, where he was a two-year starter at tight end. He was named captain in his junior and senior seasons. He recorded 100 receptions, 1,093 receiving yards and 8 total touchdowns in his career. He lived in St. Edward's Hall, the oldest residence hall on campus, where his roommate was John Sullivan, current center for the Washington Redskins.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
256 lb (116 kg) |
4.72 s | 1.67 s | 2.74 s | 4.28 s | 7.12 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) |
20 reps | |||
All values from NFL combine[1] |
Carlson was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 26, he signed a $4.52 million contract which included $2.5 million guaranteed.
He scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Charlie Frye in week 6 of the 2008 NFL season in a 17-27 loss to Green Bay. In a season marred by injuries for the Seahawks, particularly at wide receiver, Carlson proved to be a reliable target throughout the season, and led the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (627) for the 2008 season, a feat not accomplished in franchise history by a rookie since Hall of Fame WR Steve Largent.
Carlson had a notable performance in the Seahawks' 2010 playoffs, catching two touchdown passes in a win over the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. In the following week's divisional matchup (a loss) against the Chicago Bears, he received a concussion after jumping and being hit in the air and landing on his helmet after receiving a pass near the sideline in snowy Soldier Field. [2][3]
Minnesota Vikings
On March 14, 2012, Carlson signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.[4] In 2013, his contract was restructured, with his base salary reduced from $2.9M to $1.5M, and his workout bonus reduced to $50,000.[5]
Arizona Cardinals
On March 7, 2014, Carlson signed a two-year, $4.65 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. On May 5, 2015, Carlson announced his retirement from the NFL.[6]
Career statistics
Year | Team | G | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | SEA | 16 | 9 | 55 | 627 | 11.4 | 33 | 5 |
2009 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 51 | 574 | 11.3 | 42 | 7 |
2010 | SEA | 15 | 13 | 31 | 318 | 10.3 | 37 | 1 |
2011 | SEA | DNP - Injured | ||||||
2012 | MIN | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43 | 5.4 | 14 | 0 |
2013 | MIN | 13 | 8 | 32 | 344 | 10.8 | 30 | 1 |
2014 | ARI | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | 74 | 52 | 147 | 1,906 | 10.8 | 42 | 14 |
References
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/john-carlson?id=1966
- ^ Adam Caplan. "Seahawks' Carlson severely injured". FOX Sports.
- ^ The Associated Press (January 16, 2011). "Seahawks TE Carlson carted off field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
- ^ Vikings do five-year, $25 million deal with John Carlson
- ^ http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/john-carlson/
- ^ John Carlson Becomes New Cards' Tight End
External links
- Minnesota Vikings profile
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · SI.com · Pro Football Reference