Dan Carpenter
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Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
. He was signed by the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2008 after playing
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
for the
University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fal ...
. He has also played for the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.


Early years

Carpenter attended
Helena High School Helena High School is a public high school for grades 9 through 12 located in Helena, Montana, United States. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana.
in
Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would ...
, where he was a member of the
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
and had a 3.7
grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
. As a football player at Helena, Carpenter was a two-time all-state and two-time all-league selection as a kicker and punter. During his senior season, he converted 26 of 29 point after attempts and made five field goals with a long of 53 yards. Additionally, he was a first all-conference and second-team all-state selection as a wide receiver, setting school records with 931 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.


College career

Carpenter enrolled at the
University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fal ...
, and became the placekicker for the
Montana Grizzlies football The Montana Grizzlies football (commonly referred to as the "Griz") program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference ...
team as a true freshman in 2004. He went 18-for-29 (62.1 percent) on field-goal attempts while converting all 63 extra-point tries. Carpenter also rushed twice for 17 yards and scored a
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
. His 123 points that season were the second-highest total in school history, and his performance earned him a second-team All- Big Sky selection. As a sophomore in 2005, Carpenter went 14-for-21 (66.7 percent) on field-goal attempts and punted nine times for a 41.4-yard average. on the way to his second straight second-team All-Big Sky selection. His streak of 67 consecutive extra points made dating back to his freshman season was snapped in the 2005 season opener against Fort Lewis. Carpenter earned his third straight All-Big Sky selection as a junior in 2006, receiving second-team honors as a placekicker as well as being an honorable mention as a punter. Additionally, he was named a first-team
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
. On the season, he converted 24 of 30 field goals (80 percent) with four blocked and punted 62 times for a 41.9-yard average. Carpenter had the most efficient season of his career as a senior in 2007, converting 19 of 23 field goals (82.6 percent). His performance earned him his fourth-straight All-Big Sky selection and second straight All-America selection. In his four years at Montana, Carpenter converted on 75 of 103 field goals (72.8 percent) and punted 71 times for a 41.8-yard average. He also passed once for 14 yards, rushed twice for 17 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass for two yards and made seven solo tackles.


Statistics


Professional career


Miami Dolphins (2009–2012)

After going undrafted in the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
, Carpenter signed a two-year contract with the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
on April 29, 2008. The deal included a $7,500 signing bonus. The Dolphins released 2007 starting kicker
Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
on August 12, 2008 (despite having set the Dolphins single-season field-goal percentage record in his only season), having already released try-out signing
Dave Rayner David Michael Rayner (born October 26, 1982) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan ...
on June 6. The decision effectively selected Carpenter to be the starting kicker for the 2008 season, with coach
Tony Sparano Anthony Joseph Sparano III (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have l ...
commenting that the decision to cut Feely "was based purely on numbers, on performance, and Carpenter has outperformed him right now. That's the bottom line." Carpenter made his professional debut on September 7, 2008 (Week 1) against the Jets, going 2/2 on PAT's (the team attempted no FG's). He kicked his first professional field goal the following week against the Cardinals, finishing the game with 1/1 FG's and 1/1 PAT's. On November 30, 2008, Carpenter set the Dolphins' rookie record for most consecutive field goals made with 11. Carpenter was awarded the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November 2008, for converting all eight of his field goal attempts during the month, including five from a distance longer than 40 yards. According to NFL statistics, Carpenter finished the 2009 season going 25 for 28 on field goals with a long of 52 yards and also finished 40 for 40 on extra point attempts. On October 17, 2010, against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, Carpenter kicked 3 field goals, including the 44-yard game-winning field goal with 9:01 left in overtime to give the Dolphins a 23-20 win. On December 5, 2010, Carpenter made a 60-yard field goal in a home game against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and was the 5th longest in NFL history. Two weeks later, on December 19, Carpenter had one of the worst statistical kicking performances in recent memory, going 0-4 on field goals against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in a loss that would end the Dolphins playoff hopes that season. All of the kicks he attempted were 48 yards or longer. A performance this bad would not be seen again until Week 5 of the 2018 NFL season when
Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...
went 1-6 on field goals against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. Carpenter made his first
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
. San Diego Chargers kicker
Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...
did not play due to injury, and Carpenter took his spot. At of the end of the 2010 season, Carpenter was the second most accurate kicker in NFL history, behind Kaeding. On September 23, 2012, Carpenter missed a 47-yard field goal in a home game against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in overtime which would have sealed victory for Miami in overtime. Carpenter also missed a field goal from a similar distance earlier in the game. Miami would ultimately go on to lose 23-20 to New York in overtime. On November 25, 2012, his 27th birthday, he hit a 43-yard field goal to win against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in overtime to win 24-21 at home. On December 22, 2012, Carpenter was placed on injured reserve. On August 14, 2013, Carpenter was released by the Miami Dolphins. Before his release, he was battling rookie
Caleb Sturgis Caleb James Sturgis (born August 9, 1989) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football at Florida, setting team records for field goals completed in a season and a career, and was recognized as an All-American. He was ...
for the Dolphins' starting placekicker job.


Arizona Cardinals (2013)

On August 21, 2013, Carpenter signed with the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. Carpenter was signed to compete for the starting placekicker job with incumbent kicker
Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
. On August 25, 2013, he was cut by the Cardinals.


New York Jets (2013)

Carpenter was signed by the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
on August 27, 2013. He was released on August 31, 2013.


Buffalo Bills (2013–2016)

The Bills signed Carpenter on September 3, 2013 due to a groin injury sustained by starting kicker
Dustin Hopkins Dustin Hopkins (born October 1, 1990) is an American football placekicker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round ...
. On October 20, 2013 against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, Carpenter kicked three field goals, including the game-winner from 31 yards out with 33 seconds left in the game. He re-signed with the Bills on March 11, 2014. Carpenter was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first week of the 2014 season due to his efforts against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. On September 14, 2014, against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, Carpenter converted five-of-six field goal attempts and two PATs, scoring a career-high 17 points. In 2015, the Buffalo Bills brought in veteran placekicker,
Billy Cundiff William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002. College career Cundiff played for ...
, to compete with Carpenter. After Week 5, Cundiff was released, making Carpenter their kicker for 2015. In Week 11 of the 2016 season, Carpenter kicked three field goals including one for 54 yards in a win over the Bengals and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. On December 24, 2016, Week 16 – in overtime the Bills had a chance to go ahead on a 45-yard field goal, but Carpenter’s attempt went wide right. Three possessions later, the Dolphins got a 57-yard run down the left sideline from
Jay Ajayi Jay Ajayi (born 15 June 1993) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) and professional ''FIFA'' esports player. He played five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. He play ...
to set up a game-winning 27-yard field goal to lift the Dolphins over Buffalo 34–31, ending the Bills' slim playoff hopes.url=http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-fall-in-overtime-to-Dolphins/800673a3-bd51-496f-80f3-e6ce0d49172c On March 6, 2017, Carpenter was released by the Bills.


NFL career statistics


Personal life

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, the 3rd child of Val and Diane Carpenter, moved to Helena, Montana when he was 20 months old. Played nearly all sports as a child and grew up as a Nebraska Cornhuskers fan. Was loved and supported by his parents and 2 sisters and a brother. Carpenter married Kaela Clawson native of
Plentywood, Montana Plentywood is a city in and the county seat of Sheridan County, Montana, Sheridan County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,669 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History The first business in Plentywood opened in 1900, an ...
, in a private ceremony and reception on July 2, 2011. The events were held on the acreage of the bride's family farm and ranch in Montana. Carpenter and Clawson met in college in
Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
. Clawson studied elementary education. It is also known that Dan Carpenter is Catholic. Carpenter was cut by the Dolphins in 2013 with their first child "due any moment". In 2016, Kaela controversially tweeted about her desire to have Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman castrated following a game where Sherman landed a dirty hit on her husband.


References


External links


Miami Dolphins bioMontana Grizzlies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Dan 1985 births Living people American football placekickers Arizona Cardinals players Buffalo Bills players Miami Dolphins players Montana Grizzlies football players New York Jets players Sportspeople from Helena, Montana Players of American football from Montana Sportspeople from Omaha, Nebraska