John Carlson (American football)

John Carlson

refer to caption

Carlson in the 2014 NFL season
No. 89
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth: (1984-05-12) May 12, 1984
Place of birth: St. Cloud, Minnesota
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
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 210
Receiving Yards: 2,256
Touchdowns: 15
Player stats at NFL.com

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

He was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, however his family moved to Litchfield right after his birth. Carlson graduated from Litchfield High School. As a football player, he was all-state Minnesota in 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 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 also lived in St. Edward's Hall, the second-oldest residence hall on campus. His roommate was John Sullivan, current starting center for the Minnesota Vikings.

Professional career

John Carlson signing a football in 2013.

Seattle Seahawks

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP
6 ft 5 in 256 lb 4.72 s 1.67 s 2.74 s 4.28 s 7.12 s 35.5 in 9 ft 5 in 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
2008SEA1695562711.4335
2009SEA16165157411.3427
2010SEA15133131810.3371
2011SEA DNP - Injured
2012MIN1468435.4140
2013MIN1383234410.8301
2014ARI-------
Career74521471,90610.84214

References

External links

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