Rudy Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Rudy Carpenter is an American football
quarterback
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Arizona State
.
to a 14-0 record and the 2003 California Interscholastic Federation
Division II championship. Carpenter was named the Los Angeles Daily News
Offensive Player of the Year. He was also given a pre and postseason All-America selection by Prepstar Magazine. Carpenter was listed as the No. 67 player in California
by SuperPrep Magazine and listed as the No. 36 player in California and a preseason All-American by SuperPrep Magazine. He was rated as the No. 20 quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com
. He played in the Cali-Florida High School All-Star game. His statistics as a senior included 2,705 passing yards (163 completions on 262 attempts) and 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and he also rushed for 626 yards and seven scores and led Westlake to a Division IV Championship and a 14-0 season.
in the Insight Bowl
. The following fall, Sam Keller
, whose injury allowed Carpenter to become the starter in 2005, was named the starting quarterback by then-ASU coach Dirk Koetter
. But two days later, Koetter reversed his decision and Carpenter was given the starting job. Keller subsequently transferred to Nebraska
and Carpenter went on to have a less than desired season. In 2005, Carpenter earned second-team Freshman All-America honors by Scout.com
and was named an honorable mention Freshman All-American by Sporting News.
to go along with 333 yards on 17-of-26 passing. He totaled 248 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21-of-37 passes at Colorado
and threw for 177 yards and two scores at California
. Carpenter attempted 75 passes over the course of five midseason games without an interception. He ended the season tallying 183 yards of total offense at USC
, including a career-high 49 net rushing yards, one of which was a game-high sprint of 38 yards. Carpenter completed 14-of-15 passes against Stanford
(93.3 pct.).
against Texas.
. Against the California Golden Bears
on October 4, Carpenter finished with 165 yards passing, including one touchdown pass and two interceptions. He injured his ankle in the final minutes and had to leave the game on crutches. The loss marked the Sun Devils' first three game losing streak since Dennis Erickson
's tenure as head coach. ASU lost their final game to Arizona in the Territorial Cup rivalry, giving Carpenter a loss in his final game and ending a three-year streak of Territorial Cup victories by ASU.
a day after the 2009 NFL Draft
. He was waived on September 5, 2009 and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad the following day.
on November 23, 2009. In November 2010, Carpenter was moved to the active roster of Tampa Bay as the third string quarterback. Following the completion of the 2010 season, he became an exclusive rights free agent. Carpenter re-signed with the Buccaneers on July 29. He was waived during final cuts on September 3, 2011, and re-signed to the Buccaneers' practice squad two days later.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
.
Early years
Carpenter led Westlake High SchoolWestlake High School (California)
Westlake High School, often known simply as Westlake or Westlake High is a public high school in Westlake Village, California, hosting grades 9–12...
to a 14-0 record and the 2003 California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
Division II championship. Carpenter was named the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
Offensive Player of the Year. He was also given a pre and postseason All-America selection by Prepstar Magazine. Carpenter was listed as the No. 67 player in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by SuperPrep Magazine and listed as the No. 36 player in California and a preseason All-American by SuperPrep Magazine. He was rated as the No. 20 quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. He played in the Cali-Florida High School All-Star game. His statistics as a senior included 2,705 passing yards (163 completions on 262 attempts) and 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and he also rushed for 626 yards and seven scores and led Westlake to a Division IV Championship and a 14-0 season.
2005
Carpenter started the final five games of his freshman season. During that time he was the most efficient quarterback in the country and led the Sun Devils to a victory over RutgersRutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
in the Insight Bowl
Insight Bowl
The Insight Bowl is an NCAA college football bowl game played in Arizona since 1989. From 1989 to 1999, the games were played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The game moved to Phoenix in 2000 and was played at Chase Field until 2005. After the 2005 playing the Insight Bowl moved to Sun Devil Stadium...
. The following fall, Sam Keller
Sam Keller
Samuel Michael Keller is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was signed by the Los Angeles Avengers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, whose injury allowed Carpenter to become the starter in 2005, was named the starting quarterback by then-ASU coach Dirk Koetter
Dirk Koetter
-NFL drafted players under Koetter:-External links:* *...
. But two days later, Koetter reversed his decision and Carpenter was given the starting job. Keller subsequently transferred to Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
and Carpenter went on to have a less than desired season. In 2005, Carpenter earned second-team Freshman All-America honors by Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
and was named an honorable mention Freshman All-American by Sporting News.
2006
Carpenter earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in his first full season as the Sun Devils starting quarterback. Carpenter completed 184-of-332 passes for 2,523 yards and 23 touchdowns and finished third in the Pac-10 Conference in touchdown passes as well as grossing 296 rushing yards (69 net yards). Carpenter completed 17-of-24 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Arizona and threw a career-high five touchdowns against NevadaNevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno, consisting of 16 varsity teams. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack...
to go along with 333 yards on 17-of-26 passing. He totaled 248 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21-of-37 passes at Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
and threw for 177 yards and two scores at California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. Carpenter attempted 75 passes over the course of five midseason games without an interception. He ended the season tallying 183 yards of total offense at USC
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, including a career-high 49 net rushing yards, one of which was a game-high sprint of 38 yards. Carpenter completed 14-of-15 passes against Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
(93.3 pct.).
2007
In 2007, Carpenter lead the Sun Devils in the passer completion rating, compiling a 68.4% completion average. Carpenter started in all 13 games, and made a bowl appearance in the 2007 Holiday Bowl2007 Holiday Bowl
The 2007 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 27, 2007 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season and one of 32 games in the 2007-2008 bowl season. It featured the Texas Longhorns against the Arizona State Sun...
against Texas.
2008
Carpenter entered the season with 31 consecutive starts, the most out of any ASU Quarterback since Jake PlummerJake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. Against the California Golden Bears
2008 California Golden Bears football team
The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford...
on October 4, Carpenter finished with 165 yards passing, including one touchdown pass and two interceptions. He injured his ankle in the final minutes and had to leave the game on crutches. The loss marked the Sun Devils' first three game losing streak since Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
's tenure as head coach. ASU lost their final game to Arizona in the Territorial Cup rivalry, giving Carpenter a loss in his final game and ending a three-year streak of Territorial Cup victories by ASU.
Dallas Cowboys
Carpenter was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
a day after the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He was waived on September 5, 2009 and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad the following day.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carpenter was signed off the Cowboys practice squad by the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on November 23, 2009. In November 2010, Carpenter was moved to the active roster of Tampa Bay as the third string quarterback. Following the completion of the 2010 season, he became an exclusive rights free agent. Carpenter re-signed with the Buccaneers on July 29. He was waived during final cuts on September 3, 2011, and re-signed to the Buccaneers' practice squad two days later.