AUBURN, Ala. – The Carlson kicking dynasty will finally end its run on the Plains as the 2021 football season concludes. Senior kicker Anders Carlson has been a special teams rock for the Tigers since 2018. The younger brother of Daniel Carlson -- former Auburn All-America kicker and current Las Vegas Raider -- may have learned some things from his older brother, but he has certainly created his own name and legacy.
"It was really cool to kick with him every day and learn about the ways of Auburn probably quicker than anyone else, because I had a brother on the team," Carlson, a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, recalled. "I would credit everything to my family, for giving me that start and the opportunity to go to camps, to travel and to get a scholarship. I can't thank my parents enough for that.
"I've been blessed, but I'm going to work as hard as anyone to do everything I can for the football team and for the community."
After redshirting in 2017, Anders Carlson took over all of his brother's duties in 2018 and made his debut in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game versus Washington in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, making three field goals that proved to be the difference in the 21-16 win over the Huskies.
"People always ask me what my most nervous moment was, and I always tell them that even in the biggest games, nothing compares to that first game against Washington," Carlson said. Now 37 games and 53 made field goals later, he is driven to reach an even higher level of production.
"I thought I put myself in a great spot last year to be one of the top three kickers in the nation," Carlson said, after making 20 of 22 field goals and 24 of 25 PATs in 2020. "I just want to build off that and prove that I'm ready for the next step."Anders Carlson: 2021 AP preseason All-American
The next step for Carlson and the rest of the team has changed since head coach Bryan Harsin and his new staff have arrived.
"Right now, we're trying to build and lay down a brand-new foundation and bond more as a team," Carlson said. "The attention to detail of the coaches and the way that they teach us to train with a purpose and a why has been great."
While the future is the focus, Carlson has some memories that he is particularly fond of, including a 52-yard field goal as the first half expired in the 48-45 win over the Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl.
"That one second halftime kick against Bama was special," he said. "It turned out to be an awesome game and a pretty awesome moment for me."
Carlson had another one of those special moments in 2020 when he kicked the game-winning field goal versus Arkansas in the driving rain with seven seconds remaining to give Auburn the 30-28 victory over the Razorbacks, one of many highlights from a historic season for him.
During his best season yet, Carlson accumulated many accolades, including Lou Groza Award semifinalist recognition, first team all-SEC honors and a second-team All-America berth from the American Football Coaches Association.
His accomplishments aren't just limited to on-the-field awards. Carlson has made the SEC academic honor roll every year (2017-2020) and also was a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2020, the first Tiger to do so since Tyler Stovall in 2017.
A nominee for the AFCA's Good Works Team, Carlson is also active and dedicated in his efforts in the community, working as a volunteer for the Dream Center at the Church of the Highlands, with the Kick It for Kids pediatric cancer program, as a YoungLife leader and many outreach efforts for young people through read-aloud programs, building and clean-up days and mission trips.
Carlson is hopeful that he will have a career in the NFL, but also has a solid plan for when football is over – a plan that consists of a lot of flying.
Carlson completed his bachelor's degree in aviation professional flight management with honors last fall, and he and teammate Nick Brahms were extended qualified job offers by Delta Air Lines through its Delta Propel program, offering its candidates a defined path and an accelerated timeline to achieve the necessary qualifications to become a Delta pilot.
"After the season, I'll finish my MBA in the spring," he said. "I'll be in Auburn for the most part, training and getting ready for the NFL. Lord willing, I'll go play football as long as I can pursue a career in that. I've already graduated with a flight degree, so that's the plan for when football is over."
Whatever Carlson does, he does it with an edge and attitude that strives to be anything but average. "Normal people do normal things for normal results," he said.
Everything may not be clear-cut and easy, but he believes it all works out the way it's supposed to. "You're either winning or you're learning," Carlson said. "I think I've had a lot of wins in college and I've also learned a lot about being a man."
Whether he's winning or learning, Carlson tries to keep it simple in his head. "I think just relax, smile, and enjoy it," he said. "Don't get so caught up in the moment."
When his physical presence is no longer on the Plains every day, he wants his teammates, coaches and Auburn fans to remember him fondly.
"I hope they remember me as a guy who just wanted to make others better and make people smile," Carlson said. "As a player, I hope they remember me as a guy who was willing to put my head down and work to do whatever I needed to do as a specialist to help my team.
"We're all humans. We might seem like big Auburn football players, but it's all about community. Life is all about relationships. And Auburn can do so much more for you than you can do for Auburn."
Just because Carlson will be leaving Auburn doesn't mean Auburn will leaving him.
"I really will miss the family environment and the just the good feeling of being in Auburn," Carlson said. "When I'm flying from somewhere to Auburn, I always say I'm going home."
Lawrence Merrill is a student worker with Auburn Athletics media relations
