FORMER BENICIA HIGH star Austin Carr is now a team captain and the top receiver on the Northwestern University football team.

Austin Carr’s college football career has been quite a journey.

In 2012, Carr made the Northwestern University football program as a freshman walk-on after setting Benicia High season records in rushing yards (1,481), combined rushing/receiving yards (2,325) and total points (196) the year prior. Now in 2016, the fifth-year senior is not only the Wildcats’ top receiver, he’s a team captain.

“That was never a goal of mine,” Carr said about being named a Northwestern team captain prior to last Saturday’s season opener against Western Michigan. “It was just a byproduct of hard work and leading the guys wherever I am. I wanna show the guys that I truly care about them on and off the field.”

Carr slowly worked his way up the Northwestern depth chart. After red-shirting his freshman year, he worked with the scout team trying to give the first-string offense some good competition. A talented route runner with good hands and decent speed, Carr wasn’t a featured receiver last season, but he made several clutch catches and finished second on the team with 302 yards and two touchdowns. His lunging 23-yard catch on 3rd-and-15 helped the Wildcats beat Penn State, and he caught a 25-yard TD pass to put away Ball State.

Now the Wildcats are relying on Carr more than ever this year. He’s Northwestern’s only returning starter at wide receiver from a team that went 10-3 overall last season and went to the Outback Bowl against Tennessee. This year, Carr is expected to see his role increase as he looks to become sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson’s top target. In last Saturday’s season opener against Western Michigan, Carr was Northwestern’s receiving leader with five catches for 75 yards.

“We want to be a productive wide receiver corps that makes big plays but also springs big plays for the running backs with strong blocking downfield,” Carr said. “I think our passing game will be more explosive and productive because we have a lot of guys who can make good plays.”

Northwestern has a tough road in the prestigious Big 10 Conference, with road games at No. 4 Ohio State, No. 12 Michigan St. and No. 16 Iowa. Carr believes his Wildcats can compete for a West Division title and a berth in the Big 10 championship game.

“It’s as competitive as it ever has been and we’ve got some good tests, but we expect to rise to the challenge,” Carr said. “We’re gonna win games. I think we have even more talent than we did last year and we want to utilize that talent.”

Carr actually graduated from Northwestern last June with a major in philosophy and a minor in business institutions. Now he’s pursing a Masters degree in management studies at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.

He’s also keeping busy off the field and outside of the classroom, playing guitar and keyboards. He and teammate Ian Park sang the National Anthem at a Northwestern softball game, and just recently sang the Anthem again before the inaugural Northwestern men’s soccer game at new Martin Stadium. Carr, a musical theater star at Benicia High, has had to dial back a bit on his love of acting and improvisation.

“I’ve had to tone back my acting and musical theater aspirations, but that’s the price I pay for being committed to the football team.”

And committed he is. Last season, Carr was one of Northwestern’s student-athletes to win the Irving Kabiller Memorial Award for Excellence in Character, Commitment and Community. He regularly helps out his teammates – giving rides, helping younger players learn the playbook and pumping up guys who look dejected.

“I’ll do anything to help my teammates,” Carr said.

Carr hopes his senior year with the Wildcats will lead to a Bowl win and a successful season. The fact this is his last year of college football is already starting to sink in.

“It’s sweet because I get to play football again and I’m experienced,” Carr said. “There isn’t anything on the field that catches me by surprise. I’ve adjusted to the speed and size of the game. But it’s also bittersweet because it’s my last time with my brothers. I wouldn’t trade these guys for any other team or any other time. I’ve really enjoyed the journey.”

Northwestern (0-1) hosts Illinois State this Saturday.

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