Carr wanted to go to the Houston Texans in 2014 NFL Draft

By Case Keefer (contact)

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Derek Carr has often shared childhood anecdotes about growing up a Raiders’ fan in Bakersfield, Calif., during his nine-year stint as the team’s quarterback.

That’s only part of the story of his NFL fandom though. Carr may have idolized Charles Woodson and listened to his father rave about Ken Stabler while in elementary school but that all changed less than a month after his 11^th birthday with the 2002 NFL Draft.

That’s when the expansion Houston Texans used the overall No. 1 pick to select Fresno State quarterback David Carr, Derek’s older brother. The whole family uprooted to Houston with Derek’s wardrobe changing from silver and black to the Texans’ then-new color scheme of “deep steel blue and battle red.”

“I was one of their first fans and have so many memories in what was then Reliant Stadium,” Derek said Wednesday at the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters.

Derek confided to media this week that his connection with the Texans stayed so strong that he “wanted to go there” ahead of his own draft, in 2014. But he instead hasn’t even encountered the Texans much during his career.

Derek will face the Texans (1-3-1) for only the fourth time — having gone 1-2 with a win in 2016 and a losses in 2014 and 2019 — when the Raiders (1-4) host them in a Week 7 game scheduled to kick off at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

“I’ve always loved that organization, and before he passed, (former Texans owner Bob) McNair was so nice to my family,” Derek said. “I didn’t know him personally but I would just watch how he treated my brother and my parents and Melody, my sister, and he would take time to talk to me too.”

Derek was confident and outspoken even back then, as he told former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue he would be back when he went on stage at the draft with Derek in 2002. He started to turn that dream into a reality while still living in the Houston area, where he starred at Clements High School.

Things didn’t go as smoothly for David, whom the Texans cut ahead of Derek’s senior season in high school. Derek has been a longtime defender of his older brother’s NFL career, and didn’t bite his tongue on the subject this week while he looked back on his time as a Texans’ fan.

“Like I said, so many great memories, but then I think of all the offensive linemen they didn’t pick and I get a little mad,” Derek said.

David was sacked 208 times in five years with Houston where he went 22-53 as a starter. He still holds first- and third-place in the NFL record book for most sacks taken in a season with 76 in 2002 and 68 in 2005.

Derek has said watching the way David handled himself through all the tribulations taught him how to be a professional from a young age. Being the starting quarterback’s younger brother also came with its set of perks.

Derek revealed this week that he once played as part of a youth football team in the Texans’ “Mascot Game” at halftime or after a home game. The Texans got him on the team for the event despite Derek being a year older than all the other kids.

He admitted “Toro,” the Texans’ bull mascot, hit him “good” once but otherwise Derek used his age and ability to lead the team to a victory.

“I was running around like I was Michael Vick,” Derek said. “I was out there juking everybody, throwing them. That’s my favorite memory from that.”

Houston had a need at quarterback when Derek came out of Fresno State. Most assumed there was no chance the Texans would take him given their history with David, but Derek held on to hope especially because they held the first pick of the second round near where he was projected to be drafted.

But Houston passed on Derek by taking UCLA guard Xavier Su’a-Filo at the No. 33 overall. Derek went three picks later and rejoiced landing with one of his two childhood teams.

“(Houston) didn’t want me so I was a little heartbroken over that but it is what it is,” Derek said. “Nine years down the road some of those feelings have gone away, but I have the utmost respect for their organization.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or