Jackson Carman 'Super Excited' to Play for Hometown Cincinnati Bengals

Clemson product Jackson Carman had a dream come true Friday when he was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals, a team just a half-hour from his Fairfield, Ohio, home.

Jackson Carman had a dream come true Friday when he was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals, a team just a half-hour from the Clemson product's Fairfield, Ohio, home.

"I could not picture a better scenario than this," Carman said after he was selected 46th overall by the Bengals. "It's crazy...just thinking about where like the journey in the game of football is taking me in life and for it to bring me back to my family and my home, something I'm very proud of and excited for."

Carman, who made 27 starts at left tackle during his three-year career at Clemson, thought it was a possibility that he could end up back home heading into the draft, but it was still a huge moment in his life when the call came in Friday.

"As soon as I saw the 513 (area code) pop up on my phone, instantly everything hit me at once and it was an amazing feeling," Carman said. "Just knowing I was going to be able to be home, it's just indescribable."

Carman said he grew up more of a fan of NFL players, not a single team, but his all-time favorite pro, Bengal legend Anthony Munoz, is somebody Carman modeled his game after. The Hall of Famer is considered one of the best offensive linemen ever, and Carman is thankful to be part of an organization that's created great linemen he watched growing up. 

"For me to be able to be in this position to be able to stay home and be with my family and put support back into the community is awesome," Carman said. "I'm super excited."

Carman also has no problem moving positions. While he only played guard sparingly at Clemson, it'll be his new spot for the Bengals. That should help get him on the field right away, and he'll go from protecting the 2021 NFL Draft overall No. 1 pick in Trevor Lawrence to keeping the 2020 NFL Draft No.. 1 overall selection Joe Burrow clean. 

"It's a blessing to be able to protect Joe Burrow," Carman said. "It's even crazier just knowing that I was just playing against him (against LSU in the national championship game) two years ago, so this is really an amazing full-circle experience."

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