Duane Blore Carrell (born October 3, 1949) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

punter in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, and St. Louis Cardinals. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

Early years

Carrell attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He accepted a football scholarship from

, where he was a punter and

placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...

. As a sophomore, he became a starter at punter, registering 32 punts for 1,169 yards (36.5 yard average) and a long of 50 yards. As a junior, he was ranked 17th in the country with a punting average of 40.6 yards, while making 63 punts for 2,556 yards with a long of 68 yards. As a senior, he posted 53 punts for 1,921 yards (36.2-yard average) and a long of 54 yards.

Professional career

Washington Redskins

On June 8,

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, was signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

after an open tryout. He was waived before the start of the season in July. After his release, he played semi-professional football with the Hagerstown Bears of the Seaboard Football League.

St. Louis Cardinals (first stint)

On May 2,

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

, he was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was released on August 9. After his release, he returned to play semi-professional football with the Hagerstown Bears of the Seaboard Football League.

Jacksonville Sharks

In April

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

, he signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the

World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...

, where he played until the team folded operations. He averaged 41.4 yards on 93 punts in 14 games.

Dallas Cowboys (first stint)

On October 30,

, he was signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

, to replace punter

Marv Bateman Marvin Fredrick Bateman (born April 5, 1950) is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Utah. Early years Bateman attended High ...

. On September 14,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, he was released after averaging 39.8 yards per punt during the preseason and being passed on the depth chart by rookie

Mitch Hoopes Mitchell Kent Hoopes (July 8, 1953 – August 11, 2020) was an American football punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a memb ...

Los Angeles Rams

On September 16,

, he was signed by the

as a

, to replace punter Jim McCann. He was cut on August 5,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

New York Jets

On September 3,

, he was signed by the

. He was tied for ninth punter in the league with a 39.7 yards average and had a punt of 72 yards (third longest in franchise history) against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. He was released on September 28,

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

St. Louis Cardinals (second stint)

On October 13,

, he was signed as a

by the St. Louis Cardinals, to replace punter

Terry Joyce Terrance Patrick Joyce (July 18, 1954 – June 17, 2011) was an American football player. A Punter (American football), punter, he played two seasons professionally with the National Football League, NFL St. Louis Cardinals (NFL), St. Louis Card ...

. He announced his retirement on July 23,

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

Dallas Cowboys (second stint)

On August 9,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, he was signed by the

to punt in place of an injured

Danny White Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...

. He was released on August 21.

Personal life

Carrell earned a bachelor's degree while at

and also helped to found a chapter of the

Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of 2022 it consists of 144 active chapters in the Unite ...

fraternity while he was a student athlete.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrell, Duane 1949 births Living people Players of American football from Washington, D.C. Florida State Seminoles football players American football punters Dallas Cowboys players Los Angeles Rams players Jacksonville Sharks (WFL) players New York Jets players St. Louis Cardinals (football) players Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni