Gregg Carr, a former Auburn Tigers linebacker, was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame on Tuesday, becoming the ninth Auburn football player to receive this honor. The ceremony took place in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Resort & Casino.
Carr played for Auburn from 1981 to 1984 and finished his career with 453 tackles, ranking second in school history. He was named an All-American as a senior and served as team captain in 1984. Carr credited his success to his teammates and coaches, saying, “This award is given to one person but it’s the culmination of a lot of effort by a lot of men. Had they not done what they needed to do, none of us would have been successful. I always felt that I was the weak link in the chain. I played with some incredibly gifted, talented players. How you single one person out for an award I don’t know.”
He added: “I feel so very undeserving but I’m so thankful that I could represent Auburn University and represent my teammates. I’ve thanked them, I’ve thought about them. It’s a brotherhood. You play with guys for four and five years, you develop strong bonds and relationships.”
Auburn recognized Carr during the Iron Bowl two weeks before his formal induction. Reflecting on his time at Auburn, he said: “Auburn University prepared me for life,” noting that he became an Auburn fan after visiting campus as a high school junior.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Carr excelled academically, graduating from Auburn’s Ginn College of Engineering before becoming an orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham. “Football was big in my life but academics was even bigger,” he said.
During his college career under coach Pat Dye, Carr helped lead Auburn to significant victories including an SEC title and wins in three bowl games between 1982 and 1984. He described Dye’s influence: “Pat Dye is a big influence on me,” adding that Dye instilled work ethic and confidence in him.
Steve Hatchell, president and CEO of the NFF & College Hall of Fame stated: “Gregg Carr epitomized Auburn’s defensive toughness in the 1980s, leading the Tigers with strength and discipline while capturing All-America honors and helping his program reach new heights during a dominant era of success. His enshrinement highlights the way great defenders set the tone for championship teams.”
Carr joins other notable former Tigers such as Jimmy Hitchcock, Walter Gilbert, Ed Dyas, Tucker Frederickson, Pat Sullivan, Terry Beasley, Bo Jackson and Tracy Rocker as members of the Hall of Fame.
After being drafted by Pittsburgh in 1985 and playing four seasons with the Steelers, Carr pursued medicine at UAB School of Medicine and has since worked as an orthopedic surgeon.
The induction allowed Carr’s family to share in recognizing his accomplishments beyond football: “A wonderful experience for me and my family,” he said.
Coaches Michael Donahue, Pat Dye (also cited by Carr), John Heisman and Shug Jordan are among those previously inducted into coaching categories related to Auburn football history.
Larry Blakeney—a former player at Auburn who achieved recognition as Troy University’s head coach—was also part of this year’s class.
