The 6-foot, 4-inch signal-caller was the top collegiate quarterback in the nation in 2001, leading Fresno State to an 11-3 record and becoming the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL draft the following spring.

From there, Carr had an 11-year NFL career that included stints with Houston, Carolina, and San Francisco, and two stints with the New York Giants, with whom he earned a Super Bowl title ring.

Carr first earned the attention of Fresno State Coach Pat Hill while he was at Bakersfield’s Stockdale High. After seeing limited duty his first two years with the Bulldogs, he redshirted in 1999.

Carr then took over as starting quarterback in 2000. The promise of that 7-5 season was fulfilled the following year as Carr’s rifle-like passing arm enabled the Bulldogs to defeat Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin while rising to as high as No. 8 in the national polls.

Carr’s statistics were eye-popping and so were the awards he received. He led the nation in passing yardage (4,839), total yardage (4,906) passing touchdowns (46) and TDs responsible for (51). Carr received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which go the nation’s top senior QB and outstanding passer, respectively. He also was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Selected with the first pick of the 2002 NFL draft by the expansion Houston Texans, Carr’s development was stymied by the team’s porous, makeshift offensive line. But he proved to be a solid NFL quarterback and in 2006, his last year with Houston, led the NFL in pass completion percentage (68.3) while throwing for 2,767 yards and 11 TDs.

He played in 94 NFL games, starting 79, and completed 59.7% of his passes for 14,452 yards and 65 touchdowns, with a QB rating of 74.9.

Following his NFL retirement, Carr entered broadcasting as an NFL analyst. He is a co-founder and managing partner of Carrelite Fitness, and an ambassador for Valley Children’s Hospital.