Speakers Bio

John Michael Carney (born April 20, 1964 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American football placekicker.

High school years

Carney attended Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was a letterman in football. In football, he won All-State honors as a kicker.
 College years

Carney attended Notre Dame and played football there from 1984 to 1986. He was named to the Notre Dame's all time team by Sports Illustrated.

Professional career

Carney entered the National Football League in 1987 as a replacement player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1987 NFL Strike. As a regular player, he has played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1988-1989), the San Diego Chargers (1990-2000) and the New Orleans Saints (2001-2007). He is currently ranked 7th on the NFL all time scoring list.

On December 21, 2003, the Saints scored a touchdown on the final play of the game (the River City Relay) to pull to within one point of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carney was called on to kick the game-tying extra point that would send the contest into overtime. But Carney missed the extra point wide right, leaving the Saints with a 20-19 loss. The setback eliminated the Saints from playoff contention.

On April 5, 2007, Carney asked and was given permission to leave the Saints after their acquisition of kicker Olindo Mare. After Week 1 of the 2007 NFL Season, Carney signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Carney will replace Josh Scobee, who injured a leg during pre-game warmups on Sunday, September 9th, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.