Matt Schaub Is No David Carr

by Tim on May 11, 2007 9:41 AM CDT in News

And I don't simply say that because he's refrained from whining about his former team. No, I say it because of this nugget from John McClain's latest blog entry:

"If you're like me, you're excited about the Texans starting their official offseason program on Wednesday. They're called OTAs. I can't wait to watch new quarterback Matt Schaub throwing to Andre Johnson and the other receivers.

I'm sure it's going to be all Schaub all the time for a while. So far, I know this much from talking to the players and coaches. He's arrives at Reliant Park early, and he stays late. He spends a lot of time with his teammates on and off the field."

A quarterback who actually puts in the time necessary to be successful? In Houston? What? As most Texans fans know, frequent whispers emanating from Reliant Park the last five years often accused David Carr of leaving early and/or not making an effort to spend time with his teammates. I can't imagine that his father's constant presence at every practice (and subsequent side gig as his son's chauffeur*) put questions of Carr's leadership ability to rest either. As such, it's a real treat to have a guy who appears to have a hunger to excel under center. For all the good he did while he was in Houston, I don't remember ever reading that David Carr put forth this kind of extra work. This is all for moot, of course, if The Schaub proves to be the second coming of Tom Flick, but it's encouraging to read this sort of thing when every team is undefeated.

*Scott has a hilarious story about this; it is my hope that he'll regale the BRB Community with it in the Comments.

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What I've heard

I've held my tongue on some of the details for a while, especially at the risk of offending my source should I reveal too much (and I don't mean to make it sound so 007ish - my source is a friend and I value his friendship, nothing more).

What I've heard about Carr is the opposite of "not making an effort to spend time with his teammates." Actually, they didn't want to spend time with him. Carr had a tendency to proselytize, and this drove him more than football, which became completely secondary in his life. His teammates didn't want to be around him and found him to be a freak.

This isn't an indictment against religion or anything like that. But it was a matter of too much, of losing focus, of not paying attention to what he was being paid to do. Carr lost the respect and confidence of his teammates very early on in his career, and he never regained it.

Just what I've heard from a very reliable source. YMMV.

by bigfatdrunk on May 11, 2007 10:14 AM CDT reply actions

Very Interesting

That wouldn't surprise me at all, BFD. I could very easily see Carr's squeaky clean image rubbing his teammates the wrong way. After all, it's a locker room, not Lakewood.

There's a time and a place for everything, and I can appreciate Carr's teammates wanting to compartmentalize their professional lives from the personal lives, especially in that arena. Thanks for the insight.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on May 11, 2007 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions

RE: Undefeated

Now that's the kind of homeristic optimism I like to see. Hell, I bet anyone here we stay undefeated all the way through training camp.

Oh, and on the original subject, this is exactly the sort of story I was hoping/expecting to read after we learned that he placed 50 phone calls to his new teammates upon becoming a Texan.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on May 11, 2007 2:19 PM CDT reply actions