AUBURN, Ala. – Every time Anders Carlson steps up to kick a field goal or an extra point, he expects to make it. He expects to be perfect. As a kicker at any level – NFL, college football, high school – you might only get three or four opportunities a game, and you better not miss.
There’s pressure that comes with that, a certain challenge, but it’s a challenge that Carlson has embraced over the years while kicking for Auburn.
“I love it for what it is,” Carlson said. “You get a few limited opportunities to go be great at what you do all the time. It definitely is a mental challenge because of that. You only get so many opportunities. But it's a blessing. It’s something fun, something you grow to love.”
Now a senior for the Tigers, Carlson has become one of the most prolific kickers in the SEC. He ranks eighth in the conference in scoring this season at 8.1 points per game and has made at least one field goal in his last 14 games, the longest active streak nationally. He also ranks third in Auburn career scoring with 348 points.
Every one of those kicks, however, is not what defines Carlson. It’s important to him, but it has been just as important to find his identity beyond football.
“No matter what the result is, I’m a child of God,” he said. “Good day, bad day, it matters – but it's not the end of the world. It’s good perspective to have as a kicker because everyone is going to have a bad day. You can’t be done after that because that’s your identity.”