OVERVIEW
Derek Carr would make his brother, David Carr proud, as he would close out his career ranked second among active NCAA players with 113 touchdown passes, also ranking fourth in total offense (13,032 yards), third in passing yardage (12,842), second in pass completions (1,086), third in pass attempts (1,630) and fourth in touchdowns responsible for (118).
While Carr is more of a classic pocket quarterback, he does display decent mobility, scoring five times on the ground through 39 games in the starting lineup. In addition to his cannon for an arm, he is a patient passer with great field vision, tossing only 24 passes that were intercepted among his 1,630 attempts (.147 interception percentage). During his junior and senior campaigns, he also served as the team's "pooch" punter. None of his ten kicks were returned by the opposition and nine of them were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Carr was born in Fresno, California, the youngest of three children, to Sheryl and Rodger Carr. He and his family relocated to Sugar Land, Texas in 2002 when his oldest brother, David, joined the Houston Texans organization. He began his prep career at Clements High School, but when his family moved back to Bakersfield, California for his senior year, he transferred to Bakersfield Christian High School. Carr first began to attract national attention from college recruiters as a junior. He played on the Clements High freshman team and then became a back-up quarterback on the varsity team as a sophomore. He didn't prepare himself to become the starting quarterback, but a preseason injury to another signal-caller thrust him into the role. He made gradual progress as a starter, passing for 1,246 yards and 12 touchdowns on 84-of-162 attempts (51.9%) in 11 assignments during the 2006 regular season schedule.
As a junior, Carr completed 117-of-205 tosses (57.1%) for 1,622 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading his team to an undefeated 13-0 season (playoffs included) before losing in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Class 5A Division II State playoffs in Region III to the (also undefeated) Katy High School Tigers, the eventual champions.
It was during that junior year that Carr was heavily recruited. His college choices included Fresno State, Southern Methodist, Boise State, the University of Southern California, UCLA, and Utah. Of these schools, only Fresno State, SMU, and Utah made a scholarship offer towards Carr. Ultimately, he verbally committed to Fresno State on May 25, 2008, at the end of his junior year. Carr was the program's first recruit of the 2009 class.
Meanwhile, in February 2008, Bakersfield Christian High School athletic director and former NFL player Doug Barnett confirmed that Carr was transferring to BCHS, amid rumors that he would've gone to nearby Stockdale High School or Bakersfield High School, two schools with historically good football programs. Ironically, Carr passed on Stockdale High, the same school where his older brother not only went to for four years, but was even voted "Most Likely to Become Famous".
As a senior, Carr lead the Bakersfield High Eagles football team to a 12–1 record and the California Interscholastic Federation Central Section Division V championship, but his only blemish came at home against Oaks Christian High School, a national football power-house, during the team's season opener. In 13 contests, he connected on 280-of-413 passes (67.0%) for 4,067 yards, an astounding 46 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Carr also rushed for 281 yards, averaging 8.0 yards per carry, and five touchdowns in 2008, including a sensational 62-yard scoring run against Coast Union. He threw at least five touchdown passes in four of his 13 games, including two games of six scoring strikes, vs. Parlier and Fowler. He directed an offense that averaged 44 points per game, highlighted when he threw for a Central Section record 541 yards and four touchdowns against Arvin and against Shafter, he completed 13-of-17 passes for 269 yards with five touchdowns.
Carr was selected by ESPN RISE as the National Football Player of the Week after passing for 441 yards and three touchdowns in a game against Tehachapi High School. He was also named by The Bakersfield Californian as the 2008 All-Area Football Player of the Year. He garnered National Player of the Year honors from the National Private Schools Athletic Association and was also selected the Private School National Player of the Year after ranking third in California and 11th in the nation for high school quarterbacks in passing yards.
Carr would go on to shatter 20 school offensive records during his senior season. He received three-star prospect status, ranked 70th on the California Top 100 list and placed 29th among the nation's pro-style quarterbacks, according to Rivals,.com. He was regarded as a four-star prospect by Scout.com, as that recruiting service ranked him as the 16th-best high school quarterback in the country.
Carr's Fresno State career stalled during his first two years on campus. He saw just limited action in five games as a true freshman, completing 10-of-14 passes (71.4%) for 112 yards. The following year, then-Fresno State head coach Pat Hill stated that Carr was "in the mix" for the starting quarterback position as late as mid-July. However, days before the 2010 season began, the staff decided to red-shirt him.
Determined not to let his college decision be a waste, Carr had a fantastic preseason performance and emerged from 2011 fall camp as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback. It was a job he would not relinquish until concluding his college career 39 games later. His first year as Fresno State's starting quarterback saw the team slip to a 4-9 record, but Carr put up impressive numbers, ranking second in the Western Athletic Conference with a 144.51 passing efficiency rating. He placed third in the WAC in total offense (278.15 ypg) and ranked 22nd in the nation with an average of 272.62 aerial yards per contest.
An Academic All-District VIII choice, Carr was a unanimous All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection and named the league's Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 4,104 yards and 37 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, completing 344-of-511 attempts (57.3%) in 2012.
Carr punted four times, with three of those boots downed inside the 20-yard line. He ranked second in the MWC and 15th nationally with a 155.94 passing efficiency rating and finished 12th in the major college ranks in total offense (315.77 ypg). He was eighth in the FBS with an average of 26.46 pass completions and 315.69 passing yards per game.
Carr continued to 'climb up the draft ladder" based on his stellar senior season. He set conference records for yards passing (5,083), pass attempts (659) and touchdown passes (50), becoming just the fourth quarterback in major college history to throw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season. He also led the nation in total offense (5,199), passing yards per game (390.9), pass completions per game (34.85), touchdowns responsible for (52) and total points responsible for (302).
What made those figures highly impressive was that Carr did not have the benefit of much practice time, as he was often taking his ill son to doctors for treatments or attending hospitals to deal with the youngster's health issues. His "almost perfect" season saw him set the league record by attempting 305 consecutive passes without an interception. After that string was broken, he began another one that saw him throw 180 more passes without a pass theft.
Carr closed out his career as the 13th quarterback in FBS history to throw for over 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He would also become the 19th major college passer to gain over 10,000 yards passing with over 100 touchdown tosses in a career. He also set 25 school records and 21 more marks in the Mountain West Conference record books.
Carr had one more "mountain to climb" as a collegian, though. He spent considerable hours preparing for the prestigious 2014 Senior Bowl, where the consensus from teams, scouts and coaches was that he was the "finest-looking" quarterback among the six going through the week-long practices. All were in agreement that Carr unquestionably possesses the best arm. The ball explodes out of his hand and caught a few of his new teammates by surprise with how quickly it got to them. He also showed good anticipation, often delivering passes before his receivers turned back to look for the ball.
Carr clearly separated himself as the top passer in Mobile with his top-shelf arm strength, athleticism and overall feel for the game. He wasn't "picture perfect," but the arm talent and competitive drive were enough to convince ever quarterback-needy team that he has all the tools to be a quality starter in the National Football League. What those teams recognized was his elite velocity as a passer and ability to make every throw on the foot-ball field. He also showed that he has the mobility and football instincts that make him an appealing prospect.
CAREER NOTES
The owner of 25 school records and 21 additional Mountain west Conference records, Carr started his final 39 games at Fresno State after appearing in his first five contests as a reserve…Completed an impressive 66.69% of his passes (1,087-of-1,630) for 12,843 yards and 113 touchdowns…Just 1.47% of his pass attempts (24) were intercepted…Scored five times via 164 carries for 190 yards, as he also caught one pass for a 1-yard loss…Served as the team's "pooch" punter the last two years, as nine of his ten kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line, generating 319 yards…Also recorded a pair of solo tackles…NCAA Career-Record Charts…Carr recorded the 26th-best passing efficiency rating (152.80) in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history…His 12,843 yards passing rank 14th in NCAA annals…Placed 12th on that all-time chart with 113 touchdown passes…Finished 19th in FBS history with 13,033 yards in total offense…School Career-Record Charts…One of three Bulldogs to throw for over 10,000 yards in a career, he holds the top spot with 12,843 yards, topping the previous mark of 10,808 yards by Kevin Sweeney (1983-86). The other QB to throw for over 10,000 yards is Paul Pinegar (10,136; 2002-05)…Is the only Fresno State player to complete over 1,000 passes in a career (1,087), breaking the previous record of 848 by Pinegar…One of four Bulldogs to attempt 1,000 passes, he holds the record with 1,630 (previous was 1,405 by Pinegar)…Only five Bulldogs have completed at least 60% of their passes, as Derek's percentage of .6669 topped the old record that his brother, David (.621; 1997-2001) previously held…His 113 touchdown passes surpassed the old school mark of 80 by Pinegar…Has thrown at least four touchdowns in 14 games, shattering his brother's old school record of seven…Had at least five touchdowns in seven of those contests, again topping David's previous FSU record of three…His 20 games with at least 300 yards passing surpassed David's old mark of thirteen in school annals…His 11 400-yard passing performances broke the old school record of four by Trent Dilfer (1991-93)…Is the only player in school history to throw for at least 500 yards in a career more than once (three, as that mark also set the Mountain West Conference career-record)…His interception percentage of 1.47 is the lowest by a Bulldog since Billy Volek (1.25; 1996-99) set the NCAA record…Recorded a string of 305 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception in 2013, the second-longest string by an FSU player (Dilfer holds the record with 318).
2013 SEASON
Member of The NFL Draft Report's All-American Dream Team (second-team choice), Carr was named the Mountain West Conference's Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season…The All-MWC choice finished eighth in the voting for the coveted Heisman Trophy…A Senior CLASS Award first-team selection and finalist for that organization's honor, he was also selected Mountain West Championship Player of the Game (vs. Utah State), as he also garnered league Player of the Week accolades vs. Rutgers, Cal Poly, Nevada and New Mexico…The finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Carr was also chosen a semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Maxwell Award and William V. Campbell Trophy…The Capital One Academic All-District VIII first-team selection was the recipient of the College Football Performance Awards Elite Quarterback Trophy. Carr earned the honor for his career performance over the past three seasons as Fresno State's starting quarterback and he is the second Bulldog to earn CFPA honors, following 2012 CFPA Defensive Back Trophy winner Phillip Thomas. The 2013 CFPA Elite Quarterback Trophy is a 22" optic crystal tower with 8" optic crystal football on top. The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferment's in college football. All recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Twenty-one CFPA winners have been first round NFL Draft selections…Selected National Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation and CBSSports.com for his performance vs. Nevada…Added Manning Award Player of the Week recognition vs. New Mexico, Nevada, Nevada-Las Vegas, Idaho, Boise State and Cal Poly…Started all 13 games, shattering school records, most of them, his own, as Carr completed 454-of-659 passes (68.89%) for 5,083 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions…Scored twice on 40 carries for 117 yards (2.93 ypc), as he also recorded one solo tackle…All six of his "pooch" punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, as he generated 203 yards (33.8 avg)…Threw for at least 400 yards in eight contests, highlighted by 522 yards with a school-record seven touchdowns (that figured tied the league game record) on 27-of-37 tosses vs. New Mexico, followed by 38-of-50 tosses for 519 yards and six touchdowns vs. San Jose State…Also produced career-highs by completing 52-of-73 attempts vs. Rutgers, good for 456 yards and five scores…Had five more touchdowns on 37-of-48 tries for 419 yards vs. Idaho…Ranked sixth in the nation with a pass completion percentage of .6889, as his average of 34.85 pass completions per game was the best in the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks…Also led the country with a school record 50 touchdowns tosses, becoming only the fifth major college player to reach the 50-touchdown level…Led the MWC and was 15th in the nation with a passing efficiency rating of 156.1…Led the country in points responsible for (314) and points responsible per game (24.2)…His 5,083 yards passing also led the FBS ranks, as he also paced major college football with 5,200 yards in total offense…No quarterback in the country had more than Derek's 454 pass completions and 659 pass attempts…His total of 699 total plays also paced the FBS players.
2012 SEASON
Carr earned Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year during the Bulldogs' first season in the league…Named to the Sports Illustrated All-American honorable mention team, he was an unanimous first-team All-MWC selection, becoming the fifth quarterback in league history with that distinction...Added Capital One Academic All-District VIII first-team honors and was also selected to the Mountain West Academic All-Conference team...Set a then-new Mountain West season record with 4,104 passing yards, which ranked eighth nationally...His 37 touchdown passes tied for third in the FBS and his 37-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio ranked third for all quarterbacks with at least 300 completions...Also set a new conference season-record with three 400-yard passing games...Ranked eighth in the nation and first in the Mountain West with 315.7 passing yards per game...His 155.9 pass efficiency rating ranked 15th nationally...Completed 344-of-511 passes for 4,104 yards, 37 touchdowns and only seven interceptions…Recorded one solo tackle and had three of his four "pooch" punts downed inside the 20 yard line, gaining 116 yards via those kicks… Threw three or more touchdown in seven of his 13 appearances and in a four-game stretch (Colorado, Tulsa, San Diego State and Colorado State), he threw 15 touchdown passes, which was then recorded as the second-most in a four-game stretch in school history...His 17 touchdown passes over the final five games of the regular season (Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada and Air Force) were then the second-most in any five-game stretch in school history, as he only had one interception during that stretch... Was a three-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week, three-time MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Mountain West Player of the Week and twice honored as the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week...Prior to his record-breaking 2013 campaign, Carr had set a new school record for single-game completion percentage in the regular season finale vs. Air Force when he connected on 28-of-32 passes (.875) for 452 yards and four touchdowns. He was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation and the CFPA's National Performer of the Week and National QB of the Week following that game...Was one of just three FBS quarterbacks on the season to have three games with over 400 yards passing and four touchdowns on the year...Set new Mountain West and school single-game records for completions (42) and total offense (570) in a 52-40 win over San Diego State (since broken vs. Rutgers in 2013)…His 536 yards passing in that game vs. the Aztecs tied the school record...Threw five touchdowns vs. San Diego State and five more vs. Colorado, when all five of his score vs. the Buffs were thrown in the first half, going on to complete 17-of-22 passes for 300 yards in that clashes...surpassed 6,000 yards passing in his career on October 20th, when he threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-14 win over Wyoming...Named the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week and the MW Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 416 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-32 win at New Mexico, when he led the Bulldogs back from a 21-0 deficit. That was Fresno State's largest deficit overcome in a victory since 1982...Threw for four scores and 304 yards in the first half vs. Hawaii to help Fresno State jump out to a 42-3 lead in the win over the Warriors...Joined Trent Dilfer as the only quarterbacks in school history to pass for over 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons...Served as team captain.
2011 SEASON
Carr took over quarterback duties and earned All-Western Athletic Conference second-team honors during the Bulldogs' final season as a member of the league…Was also selected to the Academic All-WAC team...Threw for 3,544 yards on the season, which is the fourth-most in Fresno State history and the most ever by a Bulldog sophomore...His passing yardage led the WAC and ranked 15th nationally...His 279 completions are the third-most in school history, as were his 446 attempts...Threw 26 touchdown passes against nine interceptions and he completed 62.56 percent of his passes...Averaged 278.15 yards in total offense per game, which ranked 22nd nationally and he had four 300-yard passing games...Threw two touchdown passes of over 80 yards, had 10 pass completions of 50 or more yards and he completed a pass to 15 different receivers on the season, including six who had 30 or more catches...Completed 39-of-49 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns vs. Louisiana Tech. At that time, his 39 completions were one off the school single-game record...Threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns at Idaho, and had three or more scoring passes in four games...Produced a season-high 391 yards passing at New Mexico State with three touchdowns...Finished the year completing 138-of-212 (65.1%) passes for 1,879 yards over the last six games with 14 touchdowns against just four interceptions...Ran 57 times for 72 yards (195 yards if you take out the losses from sacks) with three touchdowns…In seven WAC games, he completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 2,162 yards with 19 touchdowns against five interceptions...Served as offensive team captain.
2010 SEASON
With senior Ryan Colburn firmly entrenched as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback, the coaching staff elected to red-shirt Carr, thus allowing him to retain three more seasons of college football eligibility.
2009 SEASON
Saw limited action for the Bulldogs and played in five games...Completed 10-of-14 passes on the season for 112 yards...Had graduated from high school early to enroll at Fresno State for the spring semester of 2009 and participate in spring drills with the team...Set two Fresno State quarterback records for the shuttle run and the 40-yard dash with a 4.59 (ran a 4.56 40 in the summer of 2012).
HIGH SCHOOL
Carr first began his prep career at Clements (Sugarland, Tex.) High School, where he played football from his freshman-through-junior seasons…Played on the Clements High freshman team and then became a back-up quarterback on the varsity team as a sophomore…Was thrust into the starting lineup when the intended starting quarterback suffered a preseason injury, making gradual progress, passing for 1,246 yards and 12 touchdowns on 84-of-162 attempts (51.9%) in 11 assignments during the 2006 regular season schedule…As a junior, Carr completed 117-of-205 tosses (57.1%) for 1,622 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading his team to an undefeated 13-0 season (playoffs included) before losing in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Class 5A Division II State playoffs in Region III to the (also undefeated) Katy High School Tigers, the eventual champions…In February 2008, Bakersfield (Cal.) Christian High School athletic director and former NFL player Doug Barnett confirmed that Carr was transferring to BCHS, amid rumors that he would've gone to nearby Stockdale High School or Bakersfield High School, two schools with historically good football programs. Ironically, Carr passed on Stockdale High, the same school where his older brother not only went to for four years, but was even voted "Most Likely to Become Famous"…As a senior, Carr lead the Bakersfield High Eagles football team to a 12–1 record and the California Interscholastic Federation Central Section Division V championship, but his only blemish came at home vs. Oaks Christian High School, a national football power-house, during the team's season opener. In 13 contests, he connected on 280-of-413 passes (67.0%) for 4,067 yards, an astounding 46 touchdowns against nine interceptions…Carr also rushed for 281 yards, averaging 8.0 yards per carry, and five touchdowns in 2008, including a sensational 62-yard scoring run against Coast Union…Threw at least five touchdown passes in four of his 13 games, including two games of six scoring strikes, vs. Parlier and Fowler…Directed an offense that averaged 44 points per game, highlighted when he threw for a Central Section record 541 yards and four touchdowns vs. Arvin and vs. Shafter, he completed 13-of-17 passes for 269 yards with five touchdowns…Selected by ESPN RISE as the National Football Player of the Week after passing for 441 yards and three touchdowns in a game against Tehachapi High School…Named by The Bakersfield Californian as the 2008 All-Area Football Player of the Year…Garnered National Player of the Year honors from the National Private Schools Athletic Association and was also selected the Private School National Player of the Year after ranking third in California and 11th in the nation for high school quarterbacks in passing yards…Shattered 20 school offensive records during his senior season…Earned three-star prospect status, ranked 70th on the California Top 100 list and placed 29th among the nation's pro-style quarterbacks, according to Rivals,.com…Regarded as a four-star prospect by Scout.com, as that recruiting service ranked him as the 16th-best high school quarterback in the country.
PERSONAL
Carr is majoring in Recreation Administration and Leisure Services Management…Married the former Heather Neel on June 29th, 2012 and the couple has an infant son…One of three sons of Sheryl and Rodger Carr…Older brother, David, was also a Fresno State standout quarterback during his collegiate days, was the first overall selection in the 2002 draft by the Houston Texans. He gained national attention during the 2001 season, after hitting on 344-of-533 passes for 4,839 yards, 46 touchdowns and only nine interceptions, earning Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Sammy Baugh honors. David started for the Houston Texans from 2002 through the 2006 seasons. He joined the Carolina Panthers in 2007, leaving for the New York Giants the next two years before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2010. He returned to the Giants to back up Eli Manning during the 2011-12 campaigns, finishing his professional career with 1,353 completions of 2,267 passes for 14,452 yards, 65 touchdowns and 71 interceptions…Another brother, Darren, was a walk-on defensive lineman at the University of Houston (did not letter)…Lists his brother David as his favorite athlete because: "He is the kind of person I want to be."...Most admires Brett Favre because he never quits. Carr wears jersey #4 in honor of Favre...Born 3/28/91 in Bakersfield, California.
