David Carr (American football)
The first-ever draft pick of the Houston Texans, a quarterback whose promising career was defined by the relentless punishment he endured behind expansion-team lines.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American football player·Birthday: July 21·Generation X
Biography
David Carr entered the NFL with the weight of a new franchise on his shoulders. Selected first overall in 2002 by the expansion Houston Texans, he was anointed the face of the team, a strong-armed quarterback fresh off a record-setting career at Fresno State. His rookie season, however, became a blueprint for how to derail a prospect. Operating behind a porous offensive line, Carr was sacked an NFL-record 76 times, a brutal baptism that seemed to haunt his development. Though he showed flashes of the talent that made him a top pick, the constant pressure and organizational growing pains took their toll. After five difficult seasons in Houston, he embarked on a journeyman phase, serving as a valued backup for the Giants, Panthers, and 49ers, even earning a Super Bowl ring. His legacy is complex: a cautionary tale about circumstance, but also a respected professional who adapted and endured.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the first overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft by the expansion Houston Texans.
- Set an NFL record for most sacks taken in a season (76) during his rookie year in 2002.
- Won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top senior quarterback in 2001 at Fresno State.
- Earned a Super Bowl ring as a backup quarterback for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
Did You Know?
His younger brother, Derek Carr, is also an NFL quarterback.
He threw a touchdown pass on his very first NFL regular-season attempt.
He is one of only two players (with brother Derek) to throw a pass for the Houston Texans and the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.
After retirement, he became a football analyst for NFL Network and CBS Sports.
“I got hit more my first year than most guys do in their career. It was a learning experience, to say the least.”
