Dan Carpenter life and biography

With Dan making his living by using his feet, he has a very unique feature. One of his feet is 1/2 size larger than the other. However it makes life easier as a professional kicker as they usually wear two different shoes when they kick.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Signed with Miami as an undrafted college free agent on May 1, 2008.

PRO
2010 - For the season leads the Dolphins in scoring with 22 points, going 5-7 in field goals and 7-7 in extra points ... For the preseason led the Dolphins in scoring with 24 points, going 6-6 in field goals and 6-6 in extra points.

LONG FIELD GOALS: Has kicked one field goal of 50 or more yards in 2010 (50 yards on Sept. 26th vs. N.Y. Jets) and now has three field goals of 50 or more yards in his career ... He is also only one of seven Dolphin kickers in team history to kick a 50-yard field goal.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS - VS. N.Y. JETS (SEPT. 26): On Sept. 26th vs. N.Y. Jets scored 11 points, going 3-3 in field goals and 2-2 in extra points ... His field goals were from 44, 20, and 50 yards out ... It was his third career field goal of 50 or more yards.

2009 - Led the team in scoring with 112 points, going 25-28 in field goals and 37-38 in extra points ... Scored 100 or more points in each of his two seasons in the league ... Finished seventh in the AFC and 11th in the NFL in scoring among kickers ... Also finished fourth in the AFC in field goal percentage ... Converted 62 straight extra points to start his career before missing his first PAT on Nov. 15, 2009 vs. Tampa Bay ... Scored 11 points vs. Indianapolis (9/21), going 3-4 in field goals and 2-2 in extra points ... Connected from 45, 44, and 45 yards out while missing from 49 yards ... It was the first time that season and the third time in his career he kicked three field goals in a game of 40 or more yards ... Scored ten points vs. New Orleans (10/25), going 2-2 in field goals (connecting on 32 and 33 yards out) and 4-4 in extra points ... Kicked a 52-yard field goal at New England (11/8), the longest field goal of his career ... Scored 13 points vs. Tampa Bay (11/15), going 4-4 in field goals and 1-2 in extra points ... Converted from 49, 30, 45, and 25 yards out ... 25-yard field goal came with ten seconds left in the game to bring the Dolphins back from a 23-22 deficit to a 25-23 win ... It was his first game-winning field goal of the season and the second of his career ... It was his first game of the season and the second game of his career of four field goals ... Missed extra point ended his streak of converting the first 62 PATs of his career ... Scored 10 points vs. New England (12/6), going 3-3 in field goals and 1-1 in extra points ... Converted from 29, 24, and 41 yards out ... His 41-yard field goal came 1:02 left in the game to bring the Dolphins back from a 21-19 deficit to a 22-21 win ... It was his second game-winning field goal of the season and the third of his career ... It also was his 17th consecutive field goal made, the second highest total of consecutive FGs converted in Dolphins history ... For his efforts he was named as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the games of Dec. 6-7 ... Scored ten points at Tennessee (12/20), going 3-3 in field goals (connecting from 23, 28, and 45 yards out) and 1-1 in extra points.

GAME-WINNING KICKS: Carpenter had two game-winning kicks in 2009 (on Dec. 6th vs. New England and Nov. 15th vs. Tampa Bay) ... Had three fourth quarter (or overtime) game-winning kicks in his career (kicks that gave the Dolphins their final lead either from tie situations or from deficits) - two in 2009 and one in 2008 ... Is 3-3 in potential game-winning field goal attempts in the fourth quarter (or overtime) that either tied the game or gave the Dolphins their final lead: PRO BOWL: Made his first Pro Bowl in 2009 as San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding did not play due to injury, and Carpenter took his spot.

HONORS: Named as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the games of Dec. 6-7 ... On Dec. 6th vs. New England he scored ten points, going 1-1 in extra points and 3-3 in field goal attempts, hitting 29, 24, and 41 yards out ... His 41-yard field goal was a game-winning kick, coming with 1:02 left in the contest to give the Dolphins a comeback 22-21 win ... It was Carpenter’s second career AFC honor, having been named as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the games of Week 14 last year following his performance on Dec. 7, 2008 vs. Buffalo in Toronto.

2008 - Played in all 16 regular season games as a rookie ... Scored 103 points, connecting on 21 of 25 of field goal attempts and all 40 of his extra point tries ... Named to numerous All-Rookie teams, including The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America ... Made his Dolphins and his NFL debut vs. N.Y. Jets (9/7), connecting on both extra point attempts ... In doing so he became the first rookie to kick for the Dolphins since October 10, 2004 at New England when rookie wide receiver Wes Welker was thrust into kicking duties in place of an injured Olindo Mare and converted a field goal and an extra point ... Carpenter became the first rookie to kick for the Dolphins in a season opener since September 10, 1989 vs. Buffalo when rookie Pete Stoyanovich hit on a field goal and three PATs ... Converted his first NFL field goal, a 32-yard kick, at Arizona (9/14), in his only attempt in the game ... Connected on a 39-yard field goal and was a perfect 5-5 in point after attempts for a total of eight points at New England (9/21) ... Accounted for 11 points, going 3-4 in field goals, including a 47-yarder, and 2-2 in extra points vs. Buffalo (10/26) ... Scored a career-high 14 points and tied the Dolphins record for the most FGs by a rookie going 4-4 in field goals (45, 47, 23, and 41 yards) and 2-2 in extra points at Denver (11/2) ... Scored five points, going 1-1 in field goals and 2-2 in extra points vs. Oakland (11/16) as his one field goal was a 38-yarder with 38 seconds left to give the Dolphins a 17-15 win ... It was his first career fourth quarter or overtime game winning field goal ... Racked up ten points, going 3-3 in field goals (converting from 37, 47, and 42 yards) and 1-1 in extra points at St. Louis (11/30) ... His third field goal in the game was his 11th consecutive field goal made, setting a new Dolphins team record for most consecutive field goals made by a rookie ... Scored ten points for the second consecutive week, going 3-4 in field goals and 1-1 in extra points against Buffalo in Toronto (12/7) ... Hit from 50, 35, and 27 yards out before missing from 48 yards which ended a streak of 14 straight field goals made, which tied the NFL record for most consecutive FGs made by a rookie ... His 50-yard field goal was the fourth 50-yard field goal by a Dolphins rookie in the regular season and the fifth overall, including playoffs ... For his efforts against Buffalo he was named as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the games of Dec. 7-8 ... In the AFC Wild Card Playoff game vs. Baltimore (1/4/09), accounted for three of the nine Dolphins points with a 19-yard field goal.

ROOKIE MARKS: Starting with the game vs. Buffalo on Oct. 26 and continuing until a miss on Dec. 7 against Buffalo in Toronto, Carpenter made 14 consecutive field goals, eight of which came from longer than 40 yards out ... His 14 straight field goals are the longest consecutive field goals made streak by a rookie in Dolphins history, surpassing the previous record of ten straight FGs, set by Uwe von Schamann in his rookie season in 1979 ... His 14 straight field goals also is tied for the longest consecutive field goal streak by a rookie in NFL history, tying the previous record of 14 straight FGs, set by Ali Haji-Sheikh in his rookie season in 1983 with the New York Giants ... With 21 field goals made, Carpenter ranks tied for second for most field goals made in a season by a Dolphins rookie…With 103 points, Carpenter ranks second for most points in a season by a Dolphins rookie.

LONG FIELD GOALS: Kicked one field goal of 50 or more yards in 2008 ... His 50-yard field goal against Buffalo in Toronto on December 7 was one of only four 50-yard field goals by a Dolphins rookie kicker in the regular season and one of only five overall, including playoffs ... The 50-yard kick ranks as the fifth-longest by a Dolphins rookie in team history.

HONORS: Was named as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November ... In five games, during which time the Dolphins went 4-1, he connected on all eight of his field goal attempts, five of which were from longer than 40 yards out ... This included a 38-yarder with 38 seconds to play to give the Dolphins a 17-15 victory over Oakland (11/16) ... His field goals were the difference in three of the team’s four wins, while he also established a Dolphins rookie record with 11 straight successful field goals ... In addition, he hit on all 12 of his PATs for 36 points during the month ... Carpenter is just the second Dolphin ever to come away with AFC Special Teams Player of the Month accolades, joining kicker Olindo Mare, who was honored in October of 1999 ... Carpenter also was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the games of December 7-8 after his performance against Buffalo (12/7) in Toronto when he scored ten points, going 3-4 in field goals and 1-1 in extra points ... Hit from 50, 35, and 27 yards out before missing from 48 yards ... He became the first Dolphin to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades since Wes Welker did so in Week 5 of 2004, in a game at New England on October 10 ... He was the first kicker to come away with the award since Olindo Mare in a Week 15 game in 1999, on December 19 against San Diego.

COLLEGE
Was a four-year letterman at Montana (2004-07) where he finished his career by converting 75 of 103 field goals (72.8%) and 182 of 188 PATs for 413 totals points ... Holds school and NCAA Football Championship Subdivision career marks for field goals made and points scored by a kicker ... Left school tied for the all-time lead in PATs made ... Also punted 71 times for a 41.8-yard average ... Was a first-team FCS All-America selection as well as a first-team All-Big Sky Conference choice as a senior ... Was a second-team all-conference selection each of his first three years ... Over his final two seasons, combined to connect on 81.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including an 82.6 percent mark as a senior when he was 19-23, including three field goals of 50 yards or longer with a best of 54, which came against Sacramento State and tied for the second-longest field goal in school history ... Handled the punting duties as a junior when he averaged 41.9 yards on 62 punts ... Majored in chemistry.

PERSONAL
Attended Helena (Mont.) High School where he was a two-time all-state and all-league kicker and punter ... Also lettered in track and basketball ... Was a member of the National Honor Society in high school ... Participated in the Miami Dolphins Foundation fishing and golf tournaments as well as the team’s annual Thanksgiving meal giveaway and Holiday toy event ... Took part in the inaugural Miami Dolphins Touchdown For Life Blood Drive ... Shopped with children in need from local schools as part of the Kids and Fins Publix Shopping Spree ... Helped plant trees at North County Elementary ... Full name is Daniel Roy Carpenter, born November 25, 1985 in Omaha, Neb.

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