Derek Carr never skipped church despite grueling football travel schedule, thanks to his parents

For Derek Carr, faith was the main goal in his household growing up. Consequently, he wasn’t permitted to play a game if it fell on a Sunday. That hasn't stopped him though, as the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is among the best in the NFL.

The church community is very important to him, as much now as it was in his childhood. This can be said for his parents Rodger and Sheryl Carr.

In an interview on The High Note podcast, Derek Carr said that not only was he raised in the church, but a lot of his relatives have been ordained:

"I was raised in the church. My grandpa was a pastor, my uncle was a pastor, my other grandpa was a deacon, my dad was a deacon, my mom's a worship leader, my grandma is a pastor."

The quarterback also said his parents taught him that faith was the most important thing:

"My mom and my dad, they taught me that my faith was number one."

This had an impact on his football schedule. The quarterback was born in Fresno, California prior to moving to Texas with his family during his teenage years. Carr talked about how he told his coach he wasn’t going to be there if the game fell on a Sunday:

"If there was a game on Sunday, as a kid, we always told my traveling coach, 'I'm not gonna be there, I'm gonna be at church.' They made the priorities, the priorities. And it worked out for me – I made it to the NFL. So, all these moms and dads that say, 'No, we have to go to your games at eight years old,' – you know, it's okay to miss one.'"

Carr also commented in the interview that he wants his faith to be an open proclamation of what he believes in:

"[That means] really believing that Jesus could heal someone in the middle of a hospitality tent, really believing that Jesus could set someone free in the middle of Chipotle in San Francisco. I've had so many stories where I began to put it into practice."

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Derek Carr's NFL career

Las Vegas Raiders v Dallas Cowboys

The Raiders drafted Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Fresno State. He finished third in the NFL MVP voting in the 2016 season, throwing for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The quarterback finished fifth in passing yards last season with 4,804 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. It marked his fourth consecutive season with over 4,000 yards passing.

Entering his ninth season in the NFL, Derek Carr is looking to improve upon those numbers. Las Vegas traded for superstar receiver Davante Adams, who is also Carr's former teammate at Fresno State.

We’ll see Derek Carr on the field in the 2022 season. With under a month until kick-off, we don't have long to wait.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the High Note podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.