Pat McAfee, noted podcast host, WWE color commentator/performer, and eight-year Indianapolis Colts punter/kickoff specialist, tweeted out a video Thursday night during the NFL Hall of Fame game to shout out former Auburn football and current Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson following two field goals to start the scoring in the preseason.
Carlson’s Raiders were taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted Georgia EDGE Travon Walker No. 1 overall during the 2022 NFL Draft, in the preseason opener from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
Daniel Carlson is, of course, the older brother of current Auburn football K Anders Carlson, who is returning to the Tigers in 2022 after an injury at the end of last season. His Auburn football QB, Jarrett Stidham, was the starter for the Raiders Thursday night.
Former Auburn football K Daniel Carlson is still trying to prove himself in 2022
Not one to rest on his laurels, Daniel Carlson said at last week’s media availability that he had new goals to achieve in 2022, saying last year doesn’t matter and that every training camp is a chance to improve:
"“Last season, at this point, doesn’t matter. Obviously it’s nice to have that. But every year during camp I kind of write my own goals and some of that may be based on ‘Hey, I want to improve this from last year,’ but each year is a new year, and I got to continue to prove myself.”“It’s more of like proving it to myself, just competing with my self. I’m trying to — every year — improve. Obviously I’m human. I’m never going to be perfect, but I’m going to try to just get as close as I can to that.”"
Carlson was able to show early in the preseason that any goal to make Mike Zimmer look bad for cutting him from the Minnesota Vikings back in his rookie season is looking awfully attainable in 2022.