| Drafted Number 1 by the newly formed Texans in 2002, David Carr donned the logo
baseball cap and smiled for photos that were pasted across newspapers, websites
and magazines around the world. This photogenic young athlete was a media hit
and the long-awaited Texans franchise was suddenly a reality. Houston and Bob
McNair, finally had their team. Luckily, that was more than just a great
photo shoot (which is more than we can say for some team’s first round picks,
but let’s not go there.)
What can we say -- David Carr is the real deal! Unlike so many young
quarterbacks today, he is a smart, level-headed, talented, team player – by the
way, did we mention his ever-ready arm and his ability to lead the offense from
the ‘git go?’ At Fresno State, Carr racked up records and hit open receivers,
not to mention won football games. But while most of his college cronies were
still watching from the sideline, this QB passed for 4605 yards in his first two
seasons in the pros despite missing four games last fall due to injury.
Now, for the 2004-2005 season the Texans are blessed to have Carr back in full
form after he has guided the offense through both insult (76 sacks in season
one) and injury (Carr’s ankle and shoulder injuries in season two). Carr’s
unbelievable patience through all this gave the offensive line time to develop.
(Worth noting: the o line allowed less than half as many sacks in season two.
And this improvement is expected to continue with the addition of new o line
coach, Joe Pendry.) While Carr’s interception rating increased slightly during
his second season, his intangibles -- like running for 36 yards in visible pain
with a hurt shoulder when he stepped in for back-up Tony Banks against the
Falcons – skyrocketed. And his QB rating is still well above average.
With a strengthening offensive line to give him time in the pocket, another year
of looks at many of the defenses he will face, and Greg Roman moving over to
quarterback coach with new insight, a healthy Carr stands poised to lead this
young team into its first winning season. Expect the white, crisp pages of the
Texans’ record books to have several new entries for this star by the end of
his (and their) third season.
Carr, his wife Melody and their two young sons live outside of Houston. They
love the Texas hospitality and enjoy giving to causes close to their hearts;
specifically, church and child-related groups. Recently they wrote a large
check to Ronald McDonald House. So, this young QB who chose #8 to be like Troy
Aikman and loves to watch Brett Favre play the game may one day join them as an
all time great. How do we know? Because, like we said – David Carr’s the Real
Deal. |
