Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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irish in the pros John Carlson Steps Up For The Vikings Carlson elevated his play after teammate and fellow Notre Dame graduate Kyle Rudolph suffered a foot injury, hauling in 12 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown in two games. photo courtesy minnesota vikings By Andrew Owens F or nine weeks of the NFL season, John Carlson was in the shadow of fellow Notre Dame graduate Kyle Rudolph. Carlson signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings last March prior to beginning his second season with the organization. During the preseason, Forbes named him the second-most-overpaid player in the NFL. How did he respond? With no receptions in a season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions and just 11 catches for 61 yards and no touchdowns in the team's 1-7 start. Since Rudolph — 30 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns in eight games — suffered a foot injury, though, Carlson has elevated his play with 12 receptions for 167 yards and his first touchdown of the season in two games. "I had more opportunities with Kyle being hurt," Carlson told reporters. "I'm excited. But we miss Kyle. It's fun to be involved more in the offense, but we want Kyle back." In a 34-27 win over the Washington Redskins Nov. 7 — the Vikings' second win of 2013 — Carlson's 28-yard touchdown grab helped Minnesota overcome a 13-point deficit. "It's great to see John step up the way he did," Vikings head coach Les-