Derek Carr

Derek Carr is the starting Quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Carr was an MVP candidate during the 2016 NFL season, but he broke his leg in Week 16. Carr hopes to recover in 2017 to lead the Raiders.

High School Career

Derek grew up in the Houston area while his older brother, David Carr, was QB for the Houston Texans. In high school, Derek initially played at Clements High School. Then, Derek and his family moved to California to finish school at Bakersfield Christian High School.

During his senior season in 2008, Derek set records and received multiple awards. Included was the All-Area Football Player of the Year and National Player of the Year among private schools. After receiving multiple college scholarship offers, he chose Fresno State, where David also played college football.

College Career

Derek waited two years before he was named starting QB. During his sophomore year in 2011, the Bulldogs only went 4-9 despite Carr throwing 26 TDs and 9 INTs. The Bulldogs built to 9-4 during his junior season when he threw 37 TDs and only 7 INTs.

Then, during his senior season, Derek exploded with 50 TDs and only 8 INTs. The Bulldogs finished 11-2 and won the Mountain West Championship. But, they lost to USC in the Las Vegas Bowl. In his final college game, Derek went 29-54 for 216 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT. The shaky performance against a program like USC created questions about his NFL ability.

2014 NFL Draft

Derek was drafted in the second round by the Oakland Raiders. The Houston Texans needed a QB, but they skipped Derek because of his last name. In 2002 when David Carr was drafted #1 overall by the Texans, Derek famously stood on the stage with his brother and said that he would be there one day. He made it to the NFL, but not as a Texan.

Derek signed a four-year contract with the Raiders worth $5.37 million. The rookie salary included a $2.2 million signing bonus.

Before the Draft, he was undervalued because of perceived limitations. The official grade at the NFL Combine was a 5.8. This translated to "having a chance to become an NFL starter." But, scouts at the Combine did not see him developing into an elite QB.

During the Combine, Derek was a top performer in the 40 Yard Dash, Vertical Jump, and 20 Yard Shuttle. His 40 time was 4.69 seconds and his vertical leap was 34.5 inches. The results did not matter to some decision-makers who labeled Derek a potential bust because of David's career.

2014 Rookie NFL Season

After the NFL Draft, Derek won the QB job and started all 16 games in his rookie season. But, the Raiders went 3-13 as he tried to adjust to the NFL. And, having a lousy roster did not help.

2015 NFL Season

Jack Del Rio took over as Raiders head coach and Derek flourished. The Raiders improved to 7-9 and he threw 11 more TD passes than in 2014. But, he threw one more INT than his rookie season, showing room for improvement to earn his salary.

2016 NFL Season

Like at Fresno St., Derek blossomed in his third season. The Raiders rebuilt the offensive line and led the AFC West for the majority of 2016. But, Derek tore his leg in the 15th game of the season. The Raiders then lost their final game, which cost the team the division. They followed that by losing in the Wild Card Playoffs Round against the Texans.

Derek finished the season with MVP-caliber numbers of 28 TDs, only 6 INTs, and a passer rating of 96.7. One of the highlights of the season was throwing for more than 500 yards in one game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Personal Life

Derek Carr is married to his wife Heather and they have two sons. Derek is a strong Christian and is heavily involved in local California communities. He wears #4 to honor his all-time favorite QB, Brett Favre. Derek's Raiders jersey can be found on the NFL Team Shop. He is on Twitter @DerekCarrQB.