QB has character, composure and big contract

By Richard Weiner, USA TODAY

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — David Carr, as usual, has surrounded himself with family as he warms up to some company at his parents' home: photogenic wife Melody sitting at his side, darling son Austin taking over the entire living room, cool mom Sheryl eyeing everything from afar. His young family has just moved out of a tiny apartment filled with hand-me-down furniture, used while Carr starred at quarterback for Fresno State. So Carr, who late Wednesday was still waiting for approval from the NFL Management Council to sign a contract with the expansion Houston Texans for almost $60 million as the top pick in this weekend's draft, is now joking about moving into an upscale neighborhood — with barely enough belongings to fill the U-Haul driven across country by a friend. "Like the Clampetts have come to town," he says, laughing, about The Beverly Hillbillies sitcom. Turns out, home is the only place Carr is truly comfortable when not doing something athletic.

By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Carr led the nation with 4,839 passing yards and 46 touchdowns in 2001, while leading Fresno State to an 11-3 record.

Relatives, for instance, are the only ones who have seen him hop a chair with a broomstick in hand and show off his photographic memory by acting out scenes from the movie Braveheart.

Re-creating family around him, his mother believes, is the very reason Carr married his high school sweetheart three years ago, when both were just 19. It's the reason the couple already has a son nearly 2 years old.

And it also is why the Texans chose Carr instead of the other "high character," franchise quarterback available, Oregon's Joey Harrington. Like Carr, Harrington not only led his school to its highest national ranking last season but also is the product of a huge loving family. Some teams even believe Harrington is more polished, and the reference is not based on the fact he is an accomplished jazz pianist.

But the NFL has rarely seen a No. 1 pick with the off-field makeup of Carr, in addition to a top efficiency rating and powerful arm that led the Texans to make their intentions known an unprecedented 17 days before the draft. The team was expecting to announce that Carr had signed a seven-year contract with an initial guaranteed bonus of nearly $11 million.

"It's like a Cinderella fairy tale," his mom says of the reward for her oldest son's devotion and hard work.

That devotion has intensified even more in the past two months after Carr and his young family narrowly escaped serious injury after a speeding stolen vehicle slammed into the back of their car on the highway.

Carr regularly awakens long before his wife and son, to get in his "alone time" — and to study scripture and playbook material — so he can share any extra free moments with them later in the day.

He maintained this routine as his family lived on such a tight food budget that he sometimes was left to eat "only Top Ramen for lunch." Fresno State coaches, meanwhile, raved to NFL scouts how the 6-3, 233-pound Carr never missed one workout.

Yet Carr is shy enough to offer just a humble "thanks" when complimented on the impressive lineup of trophies earned last season, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Carr became the sixth NCAA player to throw for more than 6,000 yards and led Fresno State to as high as a No. 10 ranking.

"I think that's what Mr. McNair and the rest of the team loved about David," Carr's wife says of the Texans and owner Bob McNair. "That he was stable in his life and with the family. They know he's not going to go out and get into trouble."

Still, Texans general manager Charley Casserly didn't enter last season thinking Carr would be his top pick. But the better Carr played, the more Casserly and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer kept booking flights to see Fresno State's games. And the more they heard about his character. Says Harrington's agent, David Dunn, who lost out on also representing Carr, "I probably shouldn't say this, but (the Carrs) may be one of the nicest families you'll ever meet."

Accident not easily forgotten

The storybook fit with the Texans, however, was nearly ripped apart Feb. 21 when a stolen sport utility vehicle going almost 100 mph rammed into the back of a compact car Carr was returning to his mother. With his wife in the passenger seat and son strapped in a baby chair in the back, Carr, wearing a faded Texans cap, managed to keep his vehicle straight and avoid serious injury.

Carr says he felt only soreness the next day, "Like I played a game." His wife had neck pain for a few weeks. But Austin, as if sounding an alarm, still cries if someone slams the brakes.

"It's like, everything was OK," Carr's wife says. "He had a good football season. Life is happy. And then just all of a sudden you get hit like that. The police officer stopped behind us and said, 'You guys are lucky you're alive. I do not know how you did not spin out of control and hit the wall.'

"He told us, 'It's a miracle you guys are alive.' That's how we felt. Just shocked and amazed at what happened to us. And thanked the Lord we were OK."

Carr says the only time he was truly scared was when he knew he was going to get hit. "But he was mad," his mother remembers. "He tried to chase the guy, but his car wouldn't start again. If he had caught that guy, David would have been the one the police had to put in prison."

Carr tries not to think of the incident, the haunting details not included in most national news reports. He wasn't even supposed to be driving that car; another one didn't start. The suspect has not been apprehended. The stolen SUV, found burnt to the ground, was owned by the salesman who sold Carr a computer earlier that day. And the police officer? A chaplain, just like Carr's grandfather.

As terrifying as it all was, Carr's mother just remembers a warm, prickly sensation as she heard her daughter-in-law's frantic voice on the cell phone — the ensuing scene was equally telling about Carr's support system. Before authorities and cleanup crews were even on the scene, the Carr family network had about 10 vehicles on hand. One friend quickly swooped up their son and got him away from danger on the freeway.

"You find out who is important at times like that," Carr says. "My phone was ringing off the hook."

One of the first to call: Carr's mentor and another Fresno State quarterback-turned-first-round pick, the Seattle Seahawks' Trent Dilfer. Like Carr's dad, Roger, Dilfer runs an automobile dealership. But his is in Fresno, closer to the accident site, so Dilfer was able to send a car right away.

That's another thing about the Carrs: People naturally want to protect them. But Dilfer, who met Carr when the then-junior high student used to hop the fence at Fresno State to play catch with his dad, isn't worried about his disciple's transition into the NFL.

"David is probably more ready than Peyton (Manning) was," Dilfer says. "People may think that's just the Fresno State in me talking. But he's special, and people are going to find that out. It all comes from the family environment. But it's also his taking on the responsibilities of being a father at such a young age. That in itself puts him so much ahead of anyone else."

Carr's mom said she made sure to talk at length with her son about the transition — and the temptations. Carr seems to get it, modeling himself after Tim Couch, another top overall pick from a small town whose family also went from rags to riches.

Carrs, Texans a good pairing

There are other family-related reasons why Carr is such a good match for the Texans, who want to do things right after the Oilers left Houston for Tennessee in 1997. Carr says he fell in love with Melody the first time he saw her in Christian camp as a teenager — and especially after he found out both were huge fans of the Dallas Cowboys. Both Carr's parents were born outside Dallas — which happens to be the middle name of his 10-year-old brother, Derek.

And, once Houston surprisingly beat out Los Angeles for the NFL's 32nd franchise, Carr declared from that moment he wanted to be a Texan. Even when people thought he was crazy. His mother subscribed to the team's Web site from its inception and began passing along the e-mails like candy. Years later, his wife was so excited when Troy Aikman called to try to sway Carr on his choice of agents that she saved the tape on the answering machine.

But the real key might have come when the fatherly Palmer clicked with Carr, and when their wives immediately acted as if they'd known each other for years. Feeling like outsiders in a big city during their first visit to Houston, those initial hugs made the Carrs feel, well, like family.

The crowning moment came at the Senior Bowl when Carr was visited by McNair, a down-home Houstonian. "The guy is worth a zillion dollars, and he came to my hotel room and sat in a little wooden chair," says Carr, shaking his head. "He was just hanging out."

Life in the fast lane ... sort of

During the past week, Carr's wife has had a blast buying new furniture for the first time. After closing on their new home — their son is still learning what real grass feels like — the Carrs went out and got the safest SUV they could find; the Mercedes is also their first new car. Soon, the rest of the immediate family will move to Houston, repeating the scene this day as brothers and parents and grandparents and cousins all come in and out of an unlocked front door.

That also means, very soon, Carr will be falling asleep as he always does while trying to watch movies at night alongside his wife and mom. They'll be tickling him to wake up, too. This is the David Carr Houston is getting, someone who "forgets" to do his chores but still plays catch with his dad. Who is so absent-minded he hands his wife the keys after getting out of the car. The one everybody expects will continue misplacing his wallet — no matter how much he's making — and then laugh about it as part of family lore.

This weekend's draft will mark the Carrs' first trip to New York. Yet, Carr and his family appear nothing like The Beverly Hillbillies. "I told them to hurry up and draft me," Carr was saying, "just so I could get a couch!"