John Carney is currently serving as place kicker for the NewOrleans Saints. Carney signed as a free agent in 2001 duringtraining camp. Before joining the Saints, Carney spent 11 yearswith the San Diego Chargers. He attended Notre Dame and finishedhis career as the Fighting Irish’s all-time field goalleader. With just a few years as the Saint’ kicker, healready has made significant impact on its all-time kicking andscoring charts. Carney also has been noted for his qualitiesoutside of football. He has spent time working with other kickers,including LSU’s place kicker Chris Jackson. With the NFLseason in full swing, we appreciate Carney taking out time from hisbusy schedule to appear as this week’s Q &A guest.
 
Tabby Soignier: Being a kicker, and often overlooked until youmess up, how do you adapt to that sort of position?
John Carney: I disagree. Kickers have opportunities to controlscoring and field position. Every coach is very concerned aboutthose aspects of the game. Any kicker who plays the game longenough will experience being the “hero” and being the”goat.” That is the nature of the position. That is whythe kicker will be the most mentally tough, thick-skinned,resilient player on the team.
 
TS: With the kicking percentages down in college football so farthis season, what advice would you give to kickers who arestruggling?
JC: Every kicker is different. Just like golf, there are manydifferent styles that can be successful. When a kicker faces aslump, he should practice from close range only and focus on makinggood contact. He should continue this routine until his controlcomes back to second nature. Kickers (and athletes) need toconcentrate on being slow and smooth during a high stresssituation. Anxiety will cause an athlete to speed up andsubsequently throw the athlete out of rhythm.
 
TS: Playing 11 seasons for San Diego before signing with theSaints, what was the biggest transition you had to make?
JC: I was pretty comfortable after 11 seasons in San Diego. Iknew everybody in the organization, I knew the stadium and all thestadiums in our division well. I also enjoyed giving back to thecommunity I lived in. When I came to the Saints, I needed to figureall of this out all over again. It has been a great and funchallenge.
 
TS: What is your favorite thing about living in New Orleans?
JC: I love the food. The people are friendly. The fans are veryloyal. And my family loves to go on airboat adventures in theswamps.
 
TS: Your senior year at Notre Dame was the same year Lou Holtzbecame head coach. How much of an impact did he make to your team?How do you describe playing under such a prominent figure?
JC: Playing for Coach Holtz was a great experience. Hechallenged every player to perform at his best. He was tough. Hebrought Notre Dame football back to a National Championship in histhird year. When you play for Lou, you will learn mental andphysical toughness — attributes that remain with you for alifetime.
 
TS: You are often noted as a player who acknowledges othersoutside of football. How important is it to you to communicate andbe a role model for others?
JC: I thank God and credit the Lord for my career. My faith ismy foundation. I have been fortunate to experience and learn a fewtid bits along the way. If I can pass down some wisdom to othersand help them succeed or cope with life’s or sport’sups and downs, I am happy to do so.
 
TS: If you were not a professional football player, what wouldyou be doing with your life?
JC: I earned a BBA in Marketing at Notre Dame. I enjoy theadvertising and promotion of business. Someday I hope to run asmall business.
 
TS: What is the craziest football town you have had to travelto?
JC: The Oakland Raiders have the craziest fans. We play theRaiders this week. Check out their end zones. That is where thewild ones are.
 
TS: What game was the Superdome at its loudest?
JC: Our fans love to get loud when we face a division opponent.Atlanta probably tops the list.
 
TS: What is your favorite game to have participated in? Collegeand/or Professional.
JC: I loved to play the USC Trojans when I was at Notre Dame.That is a long, exciting rivalry. Fortunately, we beat them allfour years while I was at Notre Dame. As a pro, I played in theSuper Bowl with the Chargers against the 49ers. We got smashed, butwhat a great experience.
 
TS: Do you ever feel discouraged playing for the Saints?
JC: No, I feel very fortunate playing for the Saints. We havewon some big games against the best teams in the NFL. When we learnhow to be consistent from week to week, we will bring home theLombardi.
 
TS: What game did you feel the most discouraged and how do youovercome that feeling?
JC: My senior year in college I missed a kick against Michiganfrom 47 yards that would have won the game — national TV, LouHoltz’s first game at Notre Dame, etc. That is when I learnedthat if I was going to continue this path as a kicker, I would haveto accept the fact that “bad” can and will happen everyonce in awhile. I would have to trust that God has a plan for mylife, that I must maintain faith in my abilities, and that I mustignore the critics (they don’t build statues for critics).Like I said earlier, kickers have to be tough. I believe the LSUTigers have a tough one in Chris Jackson.