QB&A with David Carr: How Pat Hill convinced Carr to play for Fresno State

Thursday, October 26, 2023
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Pat Hill will have his name enshrined in Fresno State's Ring of Honor at halftime of this Saturday's game.

It'll be in the same line as his first and most prized recruit, David Carr.
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In this week's QB&A, Carr shared how if not for Hill, he would've played at the University of Washington.

"He was not going to take no for an answer," recalled Carr. "He had a dream and a vision for what this could be."

Ahead of Saturday's ceremony, Action News also spoke with Hill to reflect on his time at Fresno State.

During his 15 years as the Bulldogs' coach, he built a brand of hard-nosed football of taking on 'anybody, anytime, anywhere.'



"People want to talk about legacy all the time, my legacy is I got to be part of Fresno State's legacy. I was really proud of the 15 years," explained Hill.

"We didn't win 'em all obviously but we made a lot of contributions, and we helped build on to the legacy that is Fresno State football and it's building even greater now and I'm so happy to see that."

How Pat Hill convinced David Carr to play for Fresno State


Hill says it's hard for him to pick a favorite memory but bringing down the goalposts in 2001 after topping number 10 Oregon State will always be special.

He says a number of former players and coaches will be flying in from across the country to see his induction at halftime of Saturday's game against UNLV.
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"Jim always talked about building a stronger bridge. That's why I accepted the challenge I wanted to build a stronger bridge just like Jeff is doing now. and I'm so proud of what Jeff's doing because Jeff's job is to build it stronger and the next guy's job is to build it stronger. That's what you hope for as a coach is you want somebody to carry it on. I know when I left here I left the cupboards full."

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