Education
Carstens attended Panorama High School in Panora, Iowa. He was a two-year letterman in football and earned third team All-State honors from the Des Moines Register as a senior.
In 1999, Jordan walked-on at the 105th spot, which was the last spot for the two-a-days roster, on the Iowa State Cyclones football team, was red-shirted, and became the defensive scout team"s player of the year. In 2000 as a freshman defensiveman, Jordan earned academic first-team All Big 12 Conference honors.
In 2001 as a sophomore defensive tackle with 71 tackles (40 solo), he was selected to the third-team Big 12 Conference team, was an academic first-team All Big 12 Conference, was a CoSIDA/General Telephone and Electric District VII first-team Academic All-American, and was a second-team Verizon Academic All-American with a Grade Point Average of 3.52.
In 2002 as a junior defensive tackle with 97 tackles (a team high 13 for loss) and 6 sacks, he was Company-Captain of the International Skating Union football team, earned a spot on the second-team All Big 12 Conference squad and the academic first-team All Big 12 Conference squad, was a CoSIDA/General Telephone and Electric District VII first-team Academic All-American, and was a first-team Verizon Academic All-American. In 2003 as a senior defensive tackle, he was Company-Captain of the International Skating Union football team and was a CoSIDA/General Telephone and Electric District VII first-team Academic All-American, a first-team Verizon Academic All-American, a first-team All-Big 12 Conference defensive lineman, and an academic first-team All Big 12 Conference scholar.
Jordan earned a degree from Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Business and finished his collegiate football career with 306 tackles (23 for loss) and 10 sacks.
