Photo via Misfit Marketing | Derek and David Carr have landed big names including Deion Sanders, Marshawn Lynch and Derek’s former coach with the Raiders, Jon Gruden, for their Homegrown podcast.

At a time when sports media has placed an emphasis on getting attention through hot takes and calling out athletes for every mistake, David and Derek Carrs’ “Homegrown” podcast is hoping to provide listeners with a fair, non-narrative-driven take on the sports world.

The idea of the podcast came from the idea to stay connected and share their collected experiences through over 20 years of combined NFL experience. Derek said the concepts of the podcast started shortly after he retired following the 2024 NFL season.

Different approach

As of Dec. 3, the show has over 80,000 subscribers on Youtube.

Derek saw the success of his nephew, and David’s son, Austin’s show called Harvester Sports, and wanted to create something similar with his older brother. Derek said he didn’t want to go the TV route, like David who is an NFL Network analyst, in order to spend more time with his family.

“I didn’t retire to spend less time with my family, so we just thought it’d be a good idea,” Derek said in an interview with The Business Journal. “In my head, I was like, ‘why don’t we just do something together?’”

David said that while they prioritize football coverage, they do so in a way that is “casual and positive” without trying to generate controversy.

“It’s not like we’re going to sit there and just break these guys down or scream and yell and try to just get people to tune in because we’re trying to make headlines or we’re trying to get some clicks,” David said. “We just wanted to have a platform where we could talk positively about the position of quarterback and what goes on throughout the course of the weekend in prepping for games.”

More than co-hosts

The brothers’ chemistry is central to the show. David said people tell them they sound like twins because they often can finish each other’s sentences. He said they sometimes even talk over each other.

Returning home to the Central Valley has made the podcast even more meaningful for the brothers, who both rose to stardom at Fresno State. According to Sports Reference, a sports stats website, the two highest AP Poll rankings in program history came with the brothers at quarterback in their respective final seasons.

In 2001, with David at quarterback, Fresno State reached as high as eighth in the AP Poll, still the highest ranking in program history. Some 12 years later with Derek at quarterback, Fresno State reached 15th in the AP Poll in 2013.

Following their record breaking Fresno State careers, both spent over a decade in the NFL. David was the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and the first ever draft pick by the Houston Texans franchise. He last played in 2012 with the New York Giants, where he won a Super Bowl the prior year as a backup quarterback. In addition to the Texans (2002-2006) and Giants (2008-09) and (2011-12), David also spent time with the Carolina Panthers (2007) and San Francisco 49ers (2010).

Homecoming

Derek spent the majority of his 11-year career with the Raiders franchise. He was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. During his career he was named to the Pro-Bowl four times. He spent nine seasons with the Raiders (2014-22) and two with the New Orleans Saints (2023-24). He is the Raiders all-time leading passer with 35,222 yards.

Derek said he and his wife considered staying in Las Vegas but felt “the Lord was just calling us back home,” especially after his son asked, ‘Do we have to keep moving?’” Derek said the question sparked the realization that their oldest child “hasn’t had the same home for more than just a couple years,” which ultimately brought the family back to the Central Valley.

David said he moved to the area for similar reasons when his sons reached high school age.

“We were so stoked, honestly, that (Derek and his family) were coming back.” He added that the Central Valley “is a special place,” with people who “work hard” and share similar values.

Landing big names

Despite only being 13 episodes in, the two have already brought on several big time guests, including Deion Sanders, Marshawn Lynch and Derek’s former coach with the Raiders, Jon Gruden.

As for dream guests, Derek said his top choice would be Tiger Woods because “there was no one more captivating.” He said he once messaged Woods on social media to thank him “for all the work that you put in.” David said he’d choose someone outside sports, mentioning Mel Gibson or a former president as figures who have succeeded “at that level as Tiger, but in a different venue.”

A show for all

The Carrs say Homegrown strives to be a show families can watch together. David said it’s hard to find programs that feel safe for all ages, and he wanted viewers to know their content is something “you can watch at church if you wanted to.” Derek said his priority was “something that a family could have on while they’re eating dinner,” without worry.

Both brothers said what sets Homegrown apart from other podcasts and sports media is its positive tone. David said they avoid being inflammatory because “I don’t really want a million people to see it. I want people to see it and enjoy it.” Derek said he hopes viewers finish each episode wanting to “root for that guy now” or feel encouraged rather than criticized.

In a recent episode, the two broke down film from the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback and Deion’s son Shedeur Sanders, who is a polarizing subject for several sports talk shows across the country.

Looking ahead, David said the goal is to get more people to see the podcast. Derek added that the best feedback they receive is when someone says, “I’m so happy I found the show. It’s my new favorite show.”