Fresno State Athletics
Carr Accepts Pop Warner Award
2/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 13, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State quarterback David Carr, who is the most decorated player in school history, accepted the 53rd Annual, Glenn "Pop" Warner Award Tuesday night. The awards ceremony was a star-studded event held at the Santa Clara Marriott. Carr is the first Fresno State player to ever win the award, which goes annually to the most outstanding player in the Western United States.
Carr, who led the nation in both passing yards (4,309) and touchdown passes (42), previously won the Johnny Unitas Award as the top senior quarterback and the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation's top passer. Carr finished fifth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy and was named the national offensive player of the year by The Football News.
Carr received the award from former Pacific and Washington Redskins star Eddie LaBaron, who won the first Pop Warner Award in 1949. Also in attendance at the cermony were former Pop Warner winners Joe Kapp, Jim Plunkett, Ken Margarum and Steve Stenstrom.
In addition, several area coaches were at the ceremony including UCLA head coach Bob Toledo, San Jose State coach Fitz Hill, Sacramento State head coach John Volek, Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens and former Bulldog quarterback and Cal coach Jeff Tedford. Other dignitaries included Jack Hart, the executive director of the East-West Shrine Game, former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh and John Ralston, a former Stanford, Denver Broncos and San Jose State coach.
"This is a great honor," said Carr. "It would take the whole night to thank everyone, but I want to thank my coaches and teammates because without them this wouldn't be possible."
Previous winners of the award include Stanford's John Elway and Jim Plunkett, USC's Mike Garrett, Keyshawn Johnson, O.J. Simpson and Lynn Swann, UCLA's Cade McNown, Skip Hicks and Gary Beban and Arizona State's Jake Plummer.
"David not only a special player but an even better person," said Fresno State head coach Pat Hill. "His contributions to the Fresno State program and the San Joaquin Valley will be remembered for a long time."
The Pop Warner Award is sponsored annually by the PALO Club.
