A degree of difficulty: How Carr chose Stanford
By DARRYL MAXIE / dmaxie@ajc.com
Daunte Carr has his mind set on biomedical engineering. The more the Gainesville safety thought about it, the more he discussed it with his parents, and the more he discussed it with his parents, the more it became apparent that Stanford was the right place for him.
When the Carrs sat around the table, UCLA, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Miami were also part of the discussion. “It was an in-depth conversation,” the 6-foot-2, 196-pound rising senior told the AJC. “It didn’t happen in the first five minutes. We talked about it for a long time. And then it went from my top five to my top four to my top three. And finally I chose the right one.”
Stanford’s the right one, not because Gainesville teammate Tai-ler Jones is also going there, but because of the weight a degree from the Palo Alto, Calif., university will carry in the long run.
“It’ll take me further than all my other schools,” Carr said. “It’s a lot higher, a lot stronger. Once I got the opportunity to do that with a scholarship, why not take it?”
It is more than 2,500 miles from Gainesville to Palo Alto, but Carr decided no distance was too great if one finds what he seeks — to paraphrase Eddie Murphy’s “Akeem” from “Coming to America.” (Just joking, folks: of course, it’s a Friedrich Nietzche-ism.)
“The distance between Georgia and California is going to play a factor,” Carr said. “My parents are possibly going to move out there with me. If they don’t, they don’t. But if they do, they’ll be down the street from me.”
Academics aside, Carr said Stanford’s football program is “on the rise” because the players he met are “very, very, hungry — not only for a Pac-10 championship, but a national championship.”
Though Jones, a receiver, committed to Stanford in April, Carr said his teammate never pressured him to do likewise. “He said, ‘Wherever you end up, you’ll make a good decision and you’re going to be a good player.’ Luckily, we ended up on the same team. It’s going to be like high school all over again.”
Carr said he won’t be surprised if schools try to change his mind about Stanford.
“Of course, some schools are going to try to sway my mind — if someone really wants you, why should they stop?” Carr said. “But, basically, that’s it.”
Carr is the 23rd-ranked safety nationally according to rivals.com, the 53rd according to scout.com. He’s ready to enjoy a full senior year and then to go west, thanking God, his parents and “the many great coaches I have encountered during my football journey.”
Said Carr: “I’m very, very relieved — I’ve gotten the monkey off my back pretty much.”
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© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
22 comments Add your comment
MiltonDawg
July 1st, 2009
7:11 am
Good for you kid. Best of luck on the West Coast. Maybe you can represent GA and take some attention away from the overrated Trojans.
Real Dawg
July 1st, 2009
7:56 am
Good luck to you son!
Iceism
July 1st, 2009
8:24 am
Life is more than football, which football will end at some point of time and when it does your experiences, degree, and connections you have made while at Stanford will carry you. God, your parents and the many great coaches who helped shape you must be very proud. Good luck and God speed.
charles
July 1st, 2009
8:53 am
Enter your comments here
THE ORIGINAL MADDOG
July 1st, 2009
9:04 am
Daunte, since your days at Mr. Wess and on to Rockhard fitness,
I have seen you grow from a bright little boy to a bright
young man. Your mother and father have done a good job and it shows with the choice you made. Good luck and may God guide your steps.
Go Card!
July 1st, 2009
9:57 am
It doesn’t get any better than being a student-athlete at Stanford! Where else you can be a world-class athlete and follow your intellectual pursuits to the fullest? Best of luck to Daunte and Tai-ler.
Tom
July 1st, 2009
10:13 am
Best of luck, Mr Carr!!
big Willie
July 1st, 2009
10:33 am
Refreshing to hear of an elite athlete that values an education. And his parents may move there which tells me the Carr family has some good things going on. Kudos !!
Stanford is impressive.
Diamond Dawg
July 1st, 2009
11:19 am
He’s gonna need that degree cause his football career will be short lived. Stanford is not hitting on anything thats for sure
Card Man
July 1st, 2009
3:42 pm
Diamond Dawg-you’re a dick
Michael
July 1st, 2009
8:48 pm
Actually “Diamond Dog” is probably more a tool than a dick. I’m assuming he hadn’t noticed that Harbaugh pulled in the 15th-ranked recruiting class in the country, entering this fall. Or the fact that Dante’s class (next year) is on pace to be in the same ballpark.
Robert
July 4th, 2009
4:56 pm
Kids like these two end up making a huge difference both on and off the field. And yes, with that degree, they are pretty much set for life.Conratulations to both the kids and the families.
Diamond Dog, even you can’t be that blind.
S.S. Trooper
July 5th, 2009
1:03 am
“He’s gonna need that degree cause his football career will be short lived. Stanford is not hitting on anything that’s for sure” – Well Stanford recruiting class for 2010 presently is ranked 5th overall (Diamond Dog) most likely will finish in the top 10 when its all over. 2009 recruiting class ranked within the top 15. Adding each year kids that are athletic and cerebral will eventually equal success in the win column, which will equal invites to Bowl Games and then possibly a Pack 10 Championship – all this is possible within the next year or two
buford football
July 5th, 2009
1:53 pm
no iceism, the coaches that molded him arent proud, see because the ones that made him the player he is, he forgot about. he ditched them because he is selfish and wanted to play both ways his senior year even though he was getting recruited as a safety. so he transferred. stanford got a real overrated one. o and im not a parent hating on a kid. im a former teammate that graduated
buford football
July 5th, 2009
1:55 pm
no diamond dawg is very right. you guys have no idea what kind of player daunte is. he is cant even cover his deep zone in cover 3—HIS ONLY DUTY
buford football
July 5th, 2009
1:57 pm
And all you d-a’s they have to actually graduate first. but daunte would be the player to over-estimate his abilities, leave after his junior year without a degree and be an undrafted free agent bouncing from practice squad to practice squad.
ps. sorry for not amalgamating this all into one message, my computer messed it up
FAN
July 5th, 2009
8:51 pm
As Buford looses games this year. they will continue to put hate out there for Daunte and Storm. Get a life.
buford football
July 6th, 2009
5:38 pm
no we hated storm and daunte while they were here, the werent good—OVERRATED!!! Buford will never loose, they MAY lose but not loose learn how to spell. Buford hasnt lost in two years. we will be back this year.
JustaThought
July 6th, 2009
7:32 pm
Whoa! It really “pisses” people off when some people only look out for their own best interest………….The Buford folks are really starting to smell. For 2 guys that was not any good by the “Buford” standard they sure are getting a lot of HATE. Oh! That’s right they are THE MIGHTY BUFORD WOLVES…………
JustaThought
July 6th, 2009
7:47 pm
I better check my spelling…………….”o”!
buford football
July 6th, 2009
11:41 pm
what???? that made completely no sense
bflenoryNLA
July 8th, 2009
9:57 pm
I coached Daunte Carr at the BadgerSport 7on7 in Tampa. I played a lot of “1 Free” because his over the top range is outstanding. He covers a lot of ground. He is really long even for a 6′2 kid. Arms and legs fit that of a 6′4 basketball player. My other safety was Alec Olgetree and I used Carr as my blanket so that speaks volumes.
Nice body structure that can hold weight but he has very skinny calfs and ankles which scares me because I worry about injury once he gains weight.
Has above average ball skills; locating, high pointing, and running throw all with natural hands.
Could be an OLB in a 3-4, 4-4 scheme. I dont know what D you guys run but if you play with 4 LBs he would be a sick OLB bc he is physical enough to play in the box but athletic enough to cover RBs and WR in space in the spread offense.
Baron Flenory Jr.
Scout – Midland Region Expert
bflenory@Scout.com
7on7.scout.com