DENVER – It was all a dream for Daniel Carlson when he was kicking field goals at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs.
College football, the NFL, all of it. Now he’s living it right now with the Minnesota Vikings.
“I don’t think it’s completely set in still,” Carlson said Saturday night. “But I just keep enjoying it a day at a time.”
Drafted in the fifth round out of Auburn, Carlson could not have had a better debut for the Vikings: 4/4 on extra points and perfect on field goal attempts; from 39-yards and a 57-yarder in the first half in a 42-28 win over the Broncos.
“Quite a few Colorado players around the country playing at the NFL level and it’s kind of fun to give those high schoolers and kids someone to look up to,” Carlson said. “So I take that with a lot of pride and try and use my influence in a positive way.”
It was fitting that Carlson made his NFL debut in Colorado, at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, in front of friends and family, against a team that has made legends of kickers in the league. He called Saturday night’s game “unbelievable.”
“Kind of cool that I started kicking here about an hour down south and to finally play my first NFL game at this stadium, and have my family and friends there, was a dream come true”
