When you see the name “Carr” on the back of his jersey, the first name that comes to mind is David. While Derek Carr is the younger brother of the former number one overall pick, he would like to create his own legacy. Derek has plenty of things in common with his brother and there is a chance that in a few months the Carr’s may have a son drafted with the first pick for the second time. But before that all happens, here is what you need to know about Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr.
Full Name: March 18, 1991
Date of Birth: Derek Dallas Carr
Hometown: Bakersfield, California
High School: Bakersfield Christian
Class: Senior
Major: Recreation Administration
via GoBulldogs
Background:
Derek Carr was born in Fresno, California and is the son of Rodger and Sheryl Carr. The family lived in Fresno until 2002, when Derek’s older brother David Carr was drafted first overall by the Houston Texans and he moved his family to Houston, Texas.
Derek played football at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas until his senior season when the family moved to Bakersfield and Derek started at quarterback for the Bakersfield Christian Eagles.
Carr started for Clements High School as a junior and led the team to a perfect 13-0 regular season record, but threw just 10 touchdown passes.
Carr transferred and immediately earned the starting quarterback job when he arrived at Bakersfield Christian High School. Carr had an unimaginable season in his only year with the Eagles.
During his senior season Carr showed off both his rocket arm and surprising athleticism. He threw for 4,067 yards and 46 passing touchdowns, to go along with 35 carries for 281 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
One of the highlights from his senior season came from a 65-yard touchdown run and broke numerous school passing records. Carr led the Eagles to a 12-1 record in the regular season and capped of his senior season with a Division V Central Section title.
He was named Private School National Player of the Year and awarded with numerous regional honors. Carr was a four-star recruit from Scout.com, and ranked as the 19th quarterback in the country, in a class that included Aaron Murray, Matt Barkley, Tajh Boyd, Geno Smith and AJ McCarron.
He was ranked as the fourth quarterback recruit in California behind Barkley, Richard Brehaut and Tate Forcier.
Carr drew plenty of attention while playing for Clements High School and that carried over when Carr transferred to Bakersfield Christian. Carr drew attention from multiple programs like Texas Tech, University of Southern California and Southern Methodist University but decided to stay close to home and attend Fresno State.
Statistics:
2009 (Freshman): Four games, 10 completions on 14 attempts, 71.4 completion percentage, 112 passing yards, 138.6 quarterback rating
2011 (RS Sophomore): 13 games, 279 completions on 446 attempts, 62.6 completion percentage, 3,544 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and 144.5 quarterback rating
2012 (Junior): 13 games, 344 completions on 511 attempts, 67.3 completion percentage, 4,104 passing yards, 37 touchdown passes, seven interceptions and 155.9 quarterback rating
2013 (Senior): 11 games, 388 completions on 552 attempts, 70.3 completion percentage, 4,464 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and 163.3 quarterback rating
Carr arrived at Fresno State as a true freshman and was given the chance to earn the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback job. Carr arrived early on campus as an early enrollee and while it was a close battle for most of the offseason, he ultimately lost the job to Ryan Colburn. He still saw some action playing in four games, but he finished the year without a touchdown. During his freshman year he was teammates with current San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews and was a student at Fresno State along with NBA star Paul George
After redshirting during his sophomore season, Carr returned to the field in 2011 as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. While he started every game for the Bulldogs that year, the team struggled on a weekly basis and finished the year 4-9. While the losses were a rough beginning for a player who had grown accustomed to winning on a regular basis, Carr put up impressive numbers in 13 starts. He threw for over 3,500 yards with 26 touchdowns to just nine interceptions and a 144.6 quarterback rating. He also recorded his first five-touchdown game in a 48-24 win over Idaho. It could be considered a success by many but was only the beginning for Derek as he looked to surpass his older brothers’ shadow and create his own legacy.
Carr was more than prepared for his second year as the Bulldogs’ starter in 2012. His accuracy improved and it resulted in a better year for him and the Bulldogs. After not having a 400-yard game in 2011, Carr had three in 2012 including a 536-yard and five-touchdown performance in a 52-40 win over San Diego State. He threw four touchdowns or more in six games during his junior season, leading him to 4,104 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. Carr also saw a drop in his turnover rate, cutting down to seven interceptions in 2012. Fresno State had a turnaround season finishing the year 9-3, including a five-game winning streak to end the regular season. While the Bulldogs’ lost the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl to SMU, it was a significant step forward for the program and momentum to carry over into the 2013 season. Carr was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year as well being an honorable mention for Sports Illustrated All-American team.
Carr returned for his senior season with the Bulldogs with plans on leading his team to a MAC Championship, making a Heisman run and breaking all of the Fresno State passing records along the way. It has been a career year for Carr, as he has led the Bulldogs to a 10-1 season, including a 10-game winning streak that was just snapped last week against San Jose State in a high-scoring 62-52 loss. Carr did all he could to keep the Bulldogs in the game throwing for 519 yards with six touchdowns and just an interception, but it just wasn’t enough to try and keep the Bulldogs’ BCS hopes alive. It was the second game in a row Carr had thrown for over 500 yards and completed more than 72 percent of his passes. Seven 400-yard games helped break the school record for all-time passing yards (12,222) and touchdowns (108). The Bulldogs’ offense ranks fourth in the country averaging 47.3 points per game and leads all of college football with 410.3 passing yards per game. Carr was named a finalist for the 2013 Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Extra Facts
Carr grew up in a football family where all three Carr brothers played Division I football. Darren Carr played defensive end for University of Houston while David Carr also played quarterback for Fresno State. When Derek arrived at Fresno State, he was surrounded by a place built off his brother’s legacy and known as David’s little brother.
While some players just pick a random jersey number and stick with it, Carr picked the number four in honor of Brett Favre, a player who Carr has come to admire since he was a kid. While Carr loves Favre’s style of play and admires his toughness he admits his favorite athlete is his brother David “He is the kind of person I want to be”
Carr is married to his wife Heather Carr and they have a son, Dallas. The family’s life got off to an emotional start when Dallas spent 23 days in the hospital when doctors discovered his intestines had a knot. The family is now healthy and Derek is just months away from achieving his dream of becoming an NFL player.
While Carr’s athletic accolades are impressive, one award that he doesn’t get enough credit for is being named an Academic All-American. Carr is majoring in recreation administration and leisure service management, and became just the fifth Fresno State athlete to be named to the Academic All-American team.
Carr has also been named as a Senior Class Award finalist that is given to the player who is outstanding in the classroom, in the community, in competition and shows great character. Carr not only leads his team on the field, he also leads the team in community service hours. Spending time visiting schools, children’s hospitals and just bring smiles to young faces who look up to him.
Draft Outlook
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 218 lbs.
40-Time: 4.59
The 2014 quarterback class looked like it was going to be at historic levels before the season started. Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Boyd, David Fales, Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley were all seen as the gems of the class with plenty of depth behind them. But due to struggles, injuries and some young quarterbacks returning to school, the class has taken a hit.
But if there is an award for a player who has improved their stock the most this season it’s Carr. We all have seen how powerful of an arm Carr has, without giving an ounce of effort he can heave the ball 60 yards down the field. But it isn’t all about the power, Carr knows how to put just the right touch and velocity when he throws the football and the ball placement downfield is excellent. If a wide receiver breaks open down the sidelines and has a little space, Carr can effortlessly drop it right into his hands for the bucket catch in stride and the touchdown.
Carr offers great size and has the arm talent to go with it, but one additional area of his game I love is his athleticism. You wouldn’t expect a 6’3” quarterback to have the mobility that Carr shows, but he does a nice job getting out of the pocket and running from pressure. He can run rollout plays and has shown excellent improvement throwing on the run. He hasn’t run the ball a lot in college but could be involved in some read option plays for the team that drafts him. His speed can also help him move around in the pocket when faced with interior pressure and he has the size to take big hits.
Carr has shown tremendous improvements this season dealing with pressure and improving his accuracy. He unfortunately has been limited the past two seasons to showcase his arm strength, playing in an offense that relies on a lot of quick passes. Carr’s draft stock has skyrocketed up the boards and he has paved his way and is making a strong case to be a top-three selection in May.