Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr Delivers Holy Fire In San Ramon

SAN RAMON, CA — Many diehard football fans probably know Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is a devout Christian, but few might realize he's been giving sermons in San Ramon or that he almost left the NFL to become a preacher.

In early July, he was at Brave Church in San Ramon delivering his "Holy Fire" sermon to a packed crowd. Carr was casual in dress and demeanor, disarming, just a regular — albeit confident — guy. He handed out some light humor, promised not to discuss football, and shared a few personal stories, like the time two of his young boys talked Jesus with a Starbucks barista.

Carr held the Brave audience for nearly 45 minutes.

Apparently, preaching is in his blood, and that almost derailed his NFL success. Just as his pro career was starting, Carr began having second thoughts about his life trajectory, according to an in-depth report that recently appeared in The Mercury News from sports reporter Jerry McDonald.

“In my heart, I’d never had this feeling where I was so overcome with my thoughts that I was like, ‘I can’t do anything right now,’” Carr told McDonald. “The thought was, ‘You need to stop playing football and preach.’”

As the story goes, Carr was asked, by the few he let in on his secret, to think on it — which he said he did via prayer.

“It wasn’t my time yet,” Carr said of walking away from the NFL.

Now well into his pro football career and making millions, Carr manages to get some preaching in at Brave and other Christian churches, according to McDonald's report.

As his July sermon in San Ramon wrapped up, there was a little more fire and brimstone — the church music began playing in the background and there was even a little Southern-preacher twang coming from Carr. Juxtaposed against some final bits of goofy humor — "I'm not that cool, trust me" — Carr bowed his head and praised God.

Read the full story about Carr from sports reporter Jerry McDonald.