John Carney's NFL journey will come full circle Sunday afternoon when he officially gets inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Carney, who spent more than a decade of his 23-year career with the Bolts, recently reflected on the honor.

"I felt very blessed that my time at the Chargers is being acknowledged in a favorable way," Carney said.

"I feel so fortunate to be with so many amazing players and amazing men that are in the Chargers Hall of Fame," Carney added. "To have an opportunity to join them, I feel very fortunate and blessed and excited."

If we're being honest, the longtime NFL kicker was looking for an NFL home early on in his career.

After starring collegiately at Notre Dame, Carney spent time with the Bengals and Buccaneers over the first three years of his career, appearing in just five games and making two field goals.

During the 1990 offseason, Carney had a tryout with the Chiefs while the Buccaneers also had interest in bringing him back for a third training camp.

But there was also intrigue from the Chargers, something Carney was drawn toward.

"I felt I needed a new opportunity," Carney said. "I felt great about the workout [with the Chargers] and really like the coaching staff. I just felt like it was a great opportunity and franchise to put all my efforts toward."

"I felt comfortable and confident with the franchise and the city. I liked the stadium, a lot of players on the team … it just felt like this might be the spot," Carney added. "Now I had to go to work and see if I can lock down the job."

Carney entered the 1990 offseason in a competition with Fuad Reveiz for the gig.

"It was a long road for me," Carney said. "When I signed with the Chargers, my No. 1 goal was to make it to the final roster and have an opportunity to play on Sundays.

"A Hall of Fame or anything like that certainly wasn't on the list," Carney added. "Just get to the regular season."

Carney actually didn't hit that goal right away as the Bolts went with Reveiz for the first four games. But once Carney got his chance, he didn't look back.

Carney hit 19 of 21 field goals (90.5 percent) in 1990 over 12 games, earning the trust of the organization along the way.

"I really felt I was in the right place," Carney said. "Bobby Beathard and Dean Spanos, they gave me an opportunity."

"They gave me a shot. They had to risk a little bit because I was a young guy who, in NFL terms, was still unproven," Carney added. "They took a risk and I owe them much of the credit for allowing me to prove myself."

Carney flourished from there, eventually becoming the Chargers all-time leading scorer with 1,076 points. He also still holds franchise records for field goal attempts (320) and made field goals (261).

Carney credited punter John Kidd for helping me develop a successful routine in the NFL.

"He took me under his wing and showed me the ways of performing and training and the mindset of an NFL specialist, which was really important to learn," Carney said.

Carney played for seven total NFL teams and currently ranks fifth all-time in league history with 2,062 points scored.

But he looks back fondly on his time with the Bolts, including the team's magical 1994 run to Super Bowl XXIX.

"The Super Bowl run was electric. The city was all blue and gold, there were bolts everywhere," Carney said. "Chargers fever ran wild throughout San Diego County and it was awesome to be a part of that run."

"We were the Cinderella story and we loved playing the underdog card. Guys just kept stepping up and we had an amazing season," Carney added. "We always pulled it off but just ran into a great and talented 49ers team."

That 1994 season was Carney's best with the Bolts as he earned both Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors while making a league-high 34 field goals.

Overall, Carney was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week eight times with the Chargers and was a three-time winner as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.

Carney was voted by his teammates as Chargers Special Teams Player of the Year following his first season with the team, too, proving that he was simply a perfect pairing with the Chargers from the get-go.

"My mind will be racing," Carney said of his expected emotions. "I'll have a flashback to a ton of players and teammates and coaches that I was fortunate to play with and the impact they had on my life and my career.

"I'm going to be thrilled that friends and family get to share it with me," Carney added. "I only wish I could lace them up and kick a few balls at halftime."