Nolan Carroll
Encyclopedia
Nolan Carroll, Jr. is an American football
defensive back
for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft
by the Miami Dolphins from the University of Maryland
.
. His mother, Jennifer
, is the current Lieutenant Governor of Florida
and a former United States Navy
lieutenant commander
. His father, Nolan Carroll, Sr., was a senior master sergeant
in the United States Air Force
.
Carroll attended Clay High School
in Green Cove Springs, where he was a one-year letterman in soccer and a three-year starting
wide receiver
for the football team. In his second football game as a senior, he broke his leg and was forced to sit out for the rest of the 2004 season. Nevertheless, The Florida Times-Union
named him to its Super 11 and Super 24 teams. PrepStar named him an All-Southeast region and SuperPrep an All-Dixie
region player. Carroll received athletic scholarship
offers from Central Florida
, Colorado
, Louisville
, Maryland
, and Mississippi
. Scout.com
rated him a two-star college prospect, while Rivals.com
considered him a three-star prospect. He ultimately committed to attend the University of Maryland
.
on redshirt
status, and was named the scout team
player of the week for his performance in the practices in preparation for the Florida State
game. In 2006
, Carroll saw action in all 13 games as a reserve wide receiver and on special teams. He recorded five kickoff return
s for 60 yards. Against West Virginia
, he had two returns for 12 yards; against Boston College, he had two for 31 yards; and against Wake Forest
, he had one for 17 yards.
In 2007
, he was converted to the cornerback
position, and saw action in all 13 games as a reserve. He recorded seven tackle
s on special teams, and returned five kickoffs for 84 yards. He saw action in the 2007 Emerald Bowl
against Oregon State
, but recorded no statistics. In 2008
, he saw action in ten games including four starts as a cornerback. Carroll recorded 37 tackles. In the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl
against Nevada
, he tallied seven tackles including four solo, and broke-up two passes
.
Carroll entered the 2009 season
as a starting cornerback, but broke his leg in a September 12 game against James Madison
, and missed the rest of the season. Prior to the season, he was elected by his teammates as one of the team's four captains. Defensive coordinator Don Brown
said of Carroll, "If you were going to clone a guy at that position that he plays, he'd be one of the prototypes." The NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports
affiliate, considered Carroll the 25th out of 225 ranked cornerback prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft
, and projected him as a sixth- or seventh-round selection.
selected Carroll in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
with the 145th overall pick. The pick was received in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers
for wide receiver Ted Ginn
. He was considered one of the team's most promising rookies, and saw action on special teams during the preseason. In Week 4, he handled kickoff return duties against the New England Patriots
. Carroll was part of an improved Miami special teams unit two weeks later against the Green Bay Packers
, a game in which he averaged 26.0 yards per kickoff return.
On December 13, 2010, New York Jets
strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi
extended his knee to trip Carroll as he ran down the sidelines as a gunner on punt coverage duties. Ex-Dolphin Zach Thomas
later found out that Alosi had ordered a wall formed on the edge of the coaching box, prompting the Jets to suspend Alosi indefinitely. In the same game, Carroll recorded his career first interception when he picked off Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
by the Miami Dolphins from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
Early life
Carroll was born on January 18, 1987 in Green Cove Springs, FloridaGreen Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. His mother, Jennifer
Jennifer Carroll
Jennifer Carroll is a Trinidadian-born American politician who is the 18th and current Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. The first African American and the first woman elected to the position, she assumed the office on January 4, 2011...
, is the current Lieutenant Governor of Florida
Lieutenant Governor of Florida
The Lieutenant Governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the Governor of Florida, and succeeds to the office of Governor if it...
and a former United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
. His father, Nolan Carroll, Sr., was a senior master sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant is the eighth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Master Sergeant and below Chief Master Sergeant and is a senior non-commissioned officer ....
in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Carroll attended Clay High School
Clay High School (Green Cove Springs, Florida)
-Name:As Clay High School is named after the county it is located in, Clay County, it is indirectly named for Henry Clay, Sr. Clay was a dominant figure in both the First Party System to 1824, and the Second Party System after that...
in Green Cove Springs, where he was a one-year letterman in soccer and a three-year starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the football team. In his second football game as a senior, he broke his leg and was forced to sit out for the rest of the 2004 season. Nevertheless, The Florida Times-Union
The Florida Times-Union
The Florida Times-Union is a major daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the Florida Union in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when the Florida Union merged with another Jacksonville paper, the...
named him to its Super 11 and Super 24 teams. PrepStar named him an All-Southeast region and SuperPrep an All-Dixie
Dixie
Dixie is a nickname for the Southern United States.- Origin of the name :According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M...
region player. Carroll received athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
offers from Central Florida
UCF Golden Knights football
The University of Central Florida Knights football program, commonly referred to as the UCF Knights, represents the University of Central Florida in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Knights are a member of Conference USA and the current head coach is George O'Leary, who has led...
, Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
, Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, and Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
rated him a two-star college prospect, while Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
considered him a three-star prospect. He ultimately committed to attend the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
.
College career
Carroll sat out the 2005 season2005 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2005 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 53rd season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its first within the...
on redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
status, and was named the scout team
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
player of the week for his performance in the practices in preparation for the Florida State
2005 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2005 Florida State Seminoles football team won the 2005 ACC Championship Game over the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 27-22. With the victory, they were a selection to go to the 2006 Orange Bowl as the ACC representative in the BCS.-Schedule:...
game. In 2006
2006 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2006 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 54th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its second within the...
, Carroll saw action in all 13 games as a reserve wide receiver and on special teams. He recorded five kickoff return
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
s for 60 yards. Against West Virginia
2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...
, he had two returns for 12 yards; against Boston College, he had two for 31 yards; and against Wake Forest
2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe, in his fifth season at the school, and played its home games at Groves Stadium...
, he had one for 17 yards.
In 2007
2007 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2007 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 55th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its third within the...
, he was converted to the cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
position, and saw action in all 13 games as a reserve. He recorded seven tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s on special teams, and returned five kickoffs for 84 yards. He saw action in the 2007 Emerald Bowl
2007 Emerald Bowl
The 2007 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2007, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, with the Atlantic Coast Conference represented by the Maryland Terrapins against the Oregon State Beavers, representing the Pacific-10...
against Oregon State
2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
, but recorded no statistics. In 2008
2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
, he saw action in ten games including four starts as a cornerback. Carroll recorded 37 tackles. In the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl
2008 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Nevada Wolf Pack on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ...
against Nevada
2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
The 2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Nevada competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference .The team was led by...
, he tallied seven tackles including four solo, and broke-up two passes
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
.
Carroll entered the 2009 season
2009 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2009 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland during its 57th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terrapins played in the Atlantic Division of the conference, and competed against all five divisional opponents, two Coastal Division opponents on a...
as a starting cornerback, but broke his leg in a September 12 game against James Madison
2009 James Madison Dukes football team
The 2009 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. JMU finished the season 6-5 with a record of 4-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association.-Schedule:...
, and missed the rest of the season. Prior to the season, he was elected by his teammates as one of the team's four captains. Defensive coordinator Don Brown
Don Brown (American football coach)
Don Brown is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut, a position he has held since February 2011...
said of Carroll, "If you were going to clone a guy at that position that he plays, he'd be one of the prototypes." The NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
affiliate, considered Carroll the 25th out of 225 ranked cornerback prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
, and projected him as a sixth- or seventh-round selection.
Professional career
The Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected Carroll in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
with the 145th overall pick. The pick was received in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for wide receiver Ted Ginn
Ted Ginn, Jr.
-College career:OSU track coach Russ Rogers recruited Ginn to run track, believing that he could qualify for the 2008 Olympics. However, his track career was put on hold in order to focus on football. Ginn was recruited as a defensive back by Ohio State....
. He was considered one of the team's most promising rookies, and saw action on special teams during the preseason. In Week 4, he handled kickoff return duties against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Carroll was part of an improved Miami special teams unit two weeks later against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, a game in which he averaged 26.0 yards per kickoff return.
On December 13, 2010, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi
Sal Alosi
Sal Alosi is the former head strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. On December 13, 2010, he was fined $25,000 by the Jets and suspended for the remainder of the season for tripping Miami Dolphins player Nolan Carroll as the latter ran along the sideline...
extended his knee to trip Carroll as he ran down the sidelines as a gunner on punt coverage duties. Ex-Dolphin Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
later found out that Alosi had ordered a wall formed on the edge of the coaching box, prompting the Jets to suspend Alosi indefinitely. In the same game, Carroll recorded his career first interception when he picked off Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
.