Carlson ready for anything

This was unfamiliar territory for John Carlson.

During his first three seasons at Notre Dame, he spent December preparing to play in a bowl game. But a 3-9 finish in 2007 eliminated the Irish from a postseason berth.

So Carlson, a tight end from Litchfield, headed for Velocity Sports Performance in Southern California to get a head start on training for the NFL draft.

His first opportunity to impress scouts would be the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Said Carlson: "I knew I'd have the chance to compete against the other top tights ends, and I felt I'd be in tremendous shape."

But just a week before he was to leave for Mobile, Carlson became ill. He didn't think much of it at first; probably a bug that would be gone after 24 or 48 hours. He continued to work out but became concerned when he went to bed at 6 one night and slept for 15 hours.

The concern grew substantially when Carlson dropped 17 pounds off his 6-5, 251-pound frame in only four days. He didn't go to the Senior Bowl. Carlson did not end up in the hospital but did consult with a number of doctors.

"They think it was an infection like E. coli or salmonella, or a parasite," he said. Carlson was given antibiotics, told to rest and spent three weeks on the infant BRAT diet: bananas, rice, apple sauce and toast. By the time he arrived in Indianapolis for the NFL combine in late February, Carlson had regained his health.

His strength was another issue. A time of 4.88 in the 40-yard dash and a 30.5 vertical jump were both subpar and caused speculation that his stock would drop.

"It was disappointing that I didn't perform well at the combine, but I wanted to compete and see where I was at," Carlson said. "I knew I would have a second chance at my pro day if things didn't go well."

With 23 NFL teams wanting a second look, Carlson made the most of that opportunity last month. He significantly improved his figures in the 40-yard dash (4.72) and the vertical jump (35.5). His stock shot back up; ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper projects Carlson as a second-round pick and said the Vikings might be interested.

"I think he's the best true tight end," said Floyd Reese, the former general manager of the Tennessee Titans who now works for ESPN. "A bunch of those other guys who are much more gifted are H-back types. I think if you are looking for a true on-the-line tight end, then Carlson would be the top guy."

Carlson, a fifth-year senior in 2007, put together impressive back-to-back statistical seasons for Notre Dame. After catching only 13 passes and one touchdown in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons -- he did not play as a true freshman -- he had 47 receptions for 634 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games in 2006. Those numbers fell to 40 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 2007, but that came under some difficult circumstances.

"The thing with Carlson is, he couldn't do anything about the quarterback situation there, and that was the unfortunate part of his year," Kiper said. "He goes back [to Notre Dame] and they don't have a quarterback that can get him the football. ... But he's got good hands, and he'll work hard for you."

Carlson, whose 100 career receptions are the second most by an Irish tight end, never questioned his decision to return for a fifth season even though the school's storied football program established a record for losses.

"The season was tough, and we didn't win as many game as we wanted to win and lost some we should have won," Carlson said. "But overall I'm still happy I came back. It gave me an opportunity to be a captain [as elected by his teammates] at Notre Dame and allowed me more of a leadership role on the team. I learned a great deal about football and dealing with adversity. I gained a great deal from the experience."

Carlson, who also was an academic standout at Notre Dame and earned a history degree, hopes to benefit from that experience next season in the NFL. At this point he doesn't even want to guess where he might land -- 19 teams talked to Carlson at the combine -- and he isn't about to let the suspense get to him.

His plan is to spend Saturday in Litchfield with his family -- his father, also John, coached him in high school -- his fiancée, Danielle Herndon, her parents and a few close friends. The one thing Carlson won't do: watch the draft.

"My game plan is to not watch any of it," Carlson said. "We'll play some golf and are going to grill out. Hopefully, the weather cooperates. But I'm going to try not to watch. I don't have any control of it, and it could be very frustrating and depressing to watch it."