By Catherine Laroche
Anyone who has ever watched a University of Louisville football game would most likely agree that Art Carmody is possibly one of the most accurate place-kickers in school history.
“I take a lot of pride in what I do,” Carmody said. “The coaches count on me. My teammates count on me. That motivates me to be the best I can be.”
Even the Big East has recognized Carmody’s accuracy on the field as he was recently named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after Louisville beat Cincinnati. He accounted for 11 of Louisville’s 23 points in the 23-17 win. He was 3-of-3 on field goal attempts, hitting from 32, 42 and 35 yards. He also hit both of his point after touchdowns (PATs).
Although Carmody is happy to receive such a great honor from the Big East, he doesn’t take all of the recognition.
“It’s definitely a team thing,” Carmody said. “The accolades are nice, but I can’t do my job without Matt Webb, our long snapper, and Harry Douglas, our holder, and our offensive line that blocks for me on PAT field goals. It’s nice to help the team get points on the scoreboard.”
Carmody’s success didn’t begin at U of L. In fact, he had much success before stepping foot in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
He was a two-time All-District and All-City kicker at Loyola College Prep in Louisiana. As a senior, he connected on 8-of-11 field goals, including a 45-yarder.
He was a perfect 28-of-28 on extra points, which helped him earn All-State honors.
Not only was Carmody quite the kicker for his high school football team, but was also an impressive pitcher going 10-1 his senior year en route to being selected all-state. He batted .400 with 37 runs batted in as a junior and was a two-time all-city selection in baseball.
When U of L offered Carmody playing time as a red-shirt freshman, he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity of playing for the Cardinals.
“[U of L] was the best opportunity that I had,” Carmody said. “It’s a good school and they were giving me an opportunity to come and be a part of their football program. It was a great opportunity and I’m glad I chose to come here.”
Although Carmody has been playing baseball since he was four years old, he has no regrets about choosing football over baseball. He said that he enjoys every aspect of playing football for the Cardinals, especially the fans at Papa John’s on game days.
“It’s just awesome how much support we get from the city,” Carmody said.
Since joining the Cardinal football team, Carmody has learned plenty from his coaches and teammates.
One of the most important things he has learned is taking pride in everything he does.
Whether he’s on the football field, in the classroom or even in the community, Carmody takes pride in being a part of the team.
Since being on the Louisville football team, he has held several records, including a season best 77 PATs made in 2004.
Something that he is always proud of is every game the Cardinals win. He said that his biggest accomplishment is helping the football team win games.
One of the many occasions when Carmody helped the Cardinals get a win was against Temple this season. He connected on a 51-yard field goal, which is the longest field goal attempt of his career.
“It felt good,” Carmody said. “It was one of my goals; to hit a long field goal like that. When I kicked it, I knew I hit it well and when it went through, I was very pumped about it.”
Being a part of the No. 5 nationally-ranked college football program is another big honor for Carmody.
He said that it feels great to be a part of such a successful program.
“We still have a lot of goals that we want to accomplish this year, but just to be a part of it is real exciting,” Carmody said.
Carmody said that he and his teammates appreciate the support they’ve received from the students, fans and the university throughout the season and hopes that they continue to support the Cardinals throughout the remainder of this exciting season.
