Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State to Retire David Carr's Jersey
9/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 21, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. - David Carr will be returning to Bulldog Stadium, but he won't be wearing his familiar No. 8 jersey. The jersey is being retired and the number placed on the façade of the Bulldog Stadium Press Box.
Carr and his family will in Fresno for the ceremony, which will be held prior to the Fresno State vs. Toledo football game on Tuesday, Sept. 27. The game begins at 6 p.m. and will be live on ESPN2.
It will be the sixth football jersey retirement in Fresno State football history. Others include quarterback Trent Dilfer (No. 12); receiver Henry Ellard (No. 83), running back Dale Messer (No. 21), kicker Vince Petrucci (No. 14) and quarterback Kevin Sweeney (No. 9).
"David was my first recruit and brought unprecedented national attention to Fresno State, the football program and the Valley," said head coach Pat Hill. "Because of David and the continued success of the program, the Bulldogs are on the national scene of college football. The fact that he was a Valley high school product, a true home-grown, hometown hero makes this event more special."
Carr was selected the national offensive player of the year as a senior after throwing for 4,839 yards and 46 touchdowns. He led the NCAA in both categories, becoming just the sixth player in NCAA history to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same season.
He won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Pop Warner Award, which is presented annually to the best college football player on the west coast. He finished fifth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. Carr was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the expansion Houston Texans, becoming the first player from a non-BCS conference in 30 years to be selected as the top overall pick.
For his career, 1997-2001, Carr completed 344-of-533 passes for 7,849 yards and 70 touchdowns. He holds Bulldog passing records for most touchdowns in a career (70), passing yards in a season (4,839), touchdowns in a season (46) and total offensive yards in a season (4,906).
During his senior season, he guided the Bulldogs to an 11-3 record, tying the a school record for most wins in a season. Fresno State opened the 2001 season with wins over three nationally ranked opponents, No. 23 Colorado and No. 18 Wisconsin, both on the road, and a commanding 44-24 win over No. 10 Oregon State in Bulldog Stadium. That game was played in front of a record crowd of 42,410. The Bulldogs finished the regular season ranked No. 20 in the nation before losing to Michigan State 44-34 in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. In his final game, Carr set a bowl record with 531 passing yards while throwing for four touchdowns.
"I'm incredibly humbled and flattered by this honor," said Carr. "I played with a lot of great players and coaches who deserve a lot of the credit for my success. We had a great run. The friendships I made with the Bulldogs who shed blood, sweat and tears will always be remembered fondly. I'm pleased that Fresno State has decided to honor me in this way. My family and I are extremely grateful."
A commemorative David Carr poster will be inserted in the Bulldog Gameday Gridiron program. The Gridiron programs will be available at the stadium for $5.
Fans are reminded to be in the stadium by 5:30 p.m. in order to see the David Carr jersey retirement ceremony, which will take place prior to the game.
Carr will be the guest speaker at the Sept. 27 Quarterback Club Luncheon held at Pardini's (Shaw and Van Ness). Fresno Mayor Alan Autry will be in attendance. A limited number of tickets remain for the luncheon and may be reserved by calling the Fresno State Quarterback Club Office at (559) 278-7801.
Tickets for the Toledo game are available at the Bulldog Ticket Office, by calling (559) 278-DOGS or online at www.gobulldogs.com.
