David Carr (Alumnus), Department of Athletics
By ESRA HASHEM
David Carr remembers struggling to balance his faith, his desire to be a good person, and his love for a “violent” sport — football — as a middle school student in Fresno.
“I got a chance to meet Trent Dilfer, who was the quarterback at Fresno State at the time,” David says. “He showed me that you could be a man of God and still have a ‘toughness’ about you, still play the game. From that moment on, I wanted to be a Bulldog.”
As former quarterback for Fresno State, David guided the Bulldogs to an 11–3 record during his senior year, beating nationally-ranked opponents Oregon State, Colorado and Wisconsin, all members of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). In 2002, David was selected as the №1 overall NFL pick by the Houston Texans, becoming the first player from a non-BCS conference in 30 years to be selected as the top overall pick.
David played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. In 2012, he won Super Bowl XLVI with the New York Giants.
“Still, my only jersey that I have in my gym is my Fresno State jersey,” David says, laughing. “When I say Fresno has a special place in my heart, it’s kind of an understatement.”
Since retiring from the NFL, David opened a training facility, Carr Elite, along with his brother, Derek. Carr Elite is a comprehensive training facility for all athletes and people looking to improve their fitness, diet and overall health. During the spring and summer, Carr Elite, which is located in Bakersfield, hosts football camps in the Central Valley for boys ages 8 to 17 years old.
“We try to give kids the opportunity that we had, try to surround them with positive people and positive coaches,” David says. “We want to help some of these kids live their dream like we did.”
David and three of his children have Type I Diabetes, and as such he is a long-time supporter of Valley Children’s Hospital. He is also a contributing football analyst for the NFL Network. During his free time, David has mentored Fresno State quarterbacks and helped his brother, Darren, coach high school football players in Bakersfield.
