Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is heading into his ninth season in the NFL, making him the longest-tenured QB in the AFC. The three-time Pro Bowler led the Raiders to their first postseason appearance in five years last season, and has now racked up three straight campaigns with over 4,000 passing yardsand theres a good chance hell continue that streak this year with the off-season addition of his former Fresno state teammate and all-pro wide receiver Davantae Adams.
The kind of longevity Carr has experienced in football doesnt happen by accident. So fresh off a three-year $121 million dollar contract extension and with a new head coach and a healthy roster, the 31-year-old caught up with GQ to talk about the importance of active recovery, dealing with the desert heat, and the inspiration he got from Kobe Bryant.
GQ: Heading into your ninth NFL season, what does a typical day look like for you?
Derek Carr: Right now, Im usually up by 5 in the morning. I have a big breakfasta big shakeand then get in the hot tub and stretch to get my body ready for the day. Well have meetings to go over what we are going to do that day. The plays, the different situations. After that well go to practice and however long that is, it is usually longer. [laughs] Well usually have a workout after. Then its recoveryit's all recovery after that. Im in the pool trying to flush my legs, hips, back, all that kind of stuff. I'm getting treatment in the training room to make sure that anything that does feel right can feel the best it can for the next dayand then I go to meetings again. Then I come home and hang out with the kids. Have dinner, and then start studying for the next day. When the football season comes, its Groundhog Day. Its pretty much the same routine. Thats what has worked for me for so long.
What are you usually having for your meals?
The easiest way to say it would be that usually my plate is like a third, a third, a third. What I mean by that is a third protein, a third some kind of grain, and a third fruits and vegetables. Thats probably the easiest way to describe it. Breakfast and lunch I eat at the facility and then dinnerusually my wife cooks, or we have a chef that will bring us three dinners for our whole family to make sure were eating right and to give my wife a bit of a break so she can hang out with our four kids.
Whats your favorite meal your wife cooks?
Oh, there are so many good ones. She makes amazing pasta. She makes an amazing its really healthy but we call it a sloppy joe. Thats what the kids think at least. Shell make these chicken nuggetsI don't know if they're even breaded. But she takes potatoes and dices them up and puts them in the airfryer. Our kids think they are eating chicken nuggets and french fries but actually they are really healthy.
How has your approach to diet and fitness changed, if at all, since you first came into the league?
When I first got in the league I was 20-something years old. I could eat whatever I wanted and still have 8 percent body fat, but as you start to get older, thats not the case. Things start to hurt. You know, Im 31 now. This will be nine years in the NFL. Its like dog years and it takes a toll on your body. Ive just learned over the years that the more Ive cleaned up my diet, the better I felt.
The rest is here:
Derek Carr Learned to Dominate Recovery from Kobe Bryant - GQ
