It’s no secret that Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr isn’t ashamed of sharing his faith in Jesus Christ when given the opportunity. That was no different when he was interviewed directly following the Raiders overtime win against the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday.
For the first time since 2002, the Raiders are 3-0. Carr has thrown for over 1,200 yards with six touchdowns and only two interceptions in those games. He helped lead his team back from a 14-point deficit on Sunday afternoon.
Self-Glory Is Fleeting
Carr told CBS’ sideline reporter Evan Washburn that focusing on the pressure of having an MVP season is all “self-glory” and “that stuff is fleeting.” While Carr admitted that he didn’t always feel this way, he said, “God took me to a place that all I want to do is glorify him and wherever He’s going, that’s where I want to go.”
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Carr went on to say, “If it’s a win, awesome. If it’s not, I’m still going to glorify him.”
Carr and some of his teammates could be seen kneeling in the middle of the field after the game, but instead of being what has become a common symbol of protest in the NFL, this time it was for prayer.
“What a day! On to the next one! Praise God through it all! #RaiderNation,” Carr posted on his Instagram page below an image of him and his teammates praying.
Derek Carr’s Testimony
Although Carr grew up in a Christian home and regularly attended church, he said he hadn’t surrendered his life to Christ.
In a video where Carr gives his testimony, the quarterback says God used a friend — who is now his wife, Heather — to help bring him to a point of fully surrendering his life to Jesus. Heather, who thought Derek was a devoted Christian, saw him living in a way contrary to what he said he believed, and she decided to write him a letter about it.
“I remember at that moment, I felt so selfish. I felt so arrogant. I felt so cocky. But I was still a nice, genuine person. But all of a sudden, all these feelings came upon me,” Derek said after reading Heather’s letter. “I got down my knees, and it was finally that time where God kind of put his foot down on my throat and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got special plans for you, and you’re screwing it up.’”
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He then apologized to Heather for the way he had been acting toward her and for not living as he should. Before their next game, Derek recalls telling his college teammates that he had been calling himself a Christian but wasn’t living like it. He said he asked God for forgiveness and was committed to living out his life as a Christian.
Soon after, Derek and Heather started dating. They got married in 2012. They have four children, three boys and a girl born in November 2020.