Nolan Carroll

Nolan Alexander Carroll II (born January 18, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Early life Nolan Carroll II was born on January 18, 1987 in Green Cove Springs, Florida. His mother, Jennifer, is a former Lieutenant Governor of Florida and a former United States Navy lieutenant commander. His father, Nolan Carroll, was a Senior Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force. Scout.com rated him a two-star college prospect, He ultimately committed to attend the University of Maryland. 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.

Professional career

NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports affiliate, considered Carroll the 24th out of 225 ranked cornerback prospects for the 2010 NFL draft, and projected him as a sixth- or seventh-round selection. The pick was received in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. 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 was running out of bounds to avoid being blocked during a punt (it is illegal to block or tackle players out of bounds, non-players like Alosi are not permitted to be on the field during live play.) Ex-Dolphin Zach Thomas later claimed that Alosi had ordered a wall formed on the edge of the coaching box in order to prevent the practice of players running out of bounds to avoid being blocked. Alosi was eventually suspended for the rest of the 2010 season. In the same game, Carroll recorded his first career interception when he picked off Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez.

In 2012, after cornerback Richard Marshall was placed on IR, Carroll was elevated to the starting role for the majority of season.

Philadelphia Eagles On March 13, 2014, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He started in the last game of the season against the New York Giants.

In 2015, he was named the starter at cornerback opposite Byron Maxwell. On September 20, during the home opener loss against the Dallas Cowboys, Carroll tackled a fan who ran on the field. On October 19, in the Monday Night Football game vs. the New York Giants Carroll intercepted Giant's quarterback Eli Manning and returned the interception for a touchdown giving his team a 14–7 lead (the Eagles won the game 27–7). On November 27, he was placed on injured reserve list with a broken right fibula he suffered against the Detroit Lions. He finished with 11 starts.

On March 15, 2016, Carroll re-signed a one-year, $2.36 million contract. He started 16 games, registering 4 tackles and one interception.

Dallas Cowboys On March 10, 2017, Carroll signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, to help replace cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne who left in free agency. On May 29, he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Although he struggled in preseason, he was named the starter at right cornerback for the season opener. He suffered a concussion in the second game against the Denver Broncos and was declared inactive for the next three contests. On October 11, Carroll was released after playing less than six full quarters.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds TD Lng PD FF FR Yds TD 2010 MIA 13 1 3 3 0 0.0 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2011 MIA 15 3 32 28 4 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2012 MIA 14 10 53 46 7 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 2013 MIA 16 12 47 43 4 2.0 2 3 24 0 24 11 0 0 0 0 2014 PHI 16 1 32 31 1 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 2015 PHI 11 11 57 42 15 0.0 0 2 18 1 17 10 0 0 0 0 2016 PHI 16 16 55 41 14 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 11 1 0 0 0 2017 DAL 2 2 5 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 103 56 284 239 45 3.0 5 8 43 1 24 48 2 1 0 0