College Football HOF inducts Auburn's Gregg Carr

by Jeff Shearer
College Football HOF inducts Auburn's Gregg CarrCollege Football HOF inducts Auburn's Gregg Carr

LAS VEGAS – Gregg Carr joined an exclusive fraternity Tuesday, becoming the ninth former Auburn football player to be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame.

An All-American linebacker as a senior, Carr starred for the Tigers from 1981-84 and ranks second in program history with 453 career tackles. 

“This award is given to one person but it’s the culmination of a lot of effort by a lot of men,” said Carr, referencing his 100 Auburn teammates over his four-year career. “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. 

“I feel so very underserving 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.”

Two weeks before Carr’s formal Dec. 9 induction at the Bellagio Resort & Casino, Auburn honored him on Pat Dye Field during the Iron Bowl.

“Auburn University prepared me for lite,” said Carr, a graduate of Birmingham’s Woodlawn High School. “I didn’t grow up an Auburn fan. I became an Auburn fan five minutes after I visited the campus the first time as a junior in high school. It has a different feel to it; one I hadn’t experienced at another of the other schools I was recruited by. 

“I felt part of something much bigger, part of a family. Auburn’s been very special to me. All my kids but one have gone to Auburn. We still support Auburn.”

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A standout in the classroom as well, Carr graduated from Auburn University’s Ginn College of Engineering before becoming an orthopedic surgeon in his hometown of Birmingham.  

“Football was big in my life but academics was even bigger,” said Carr, a member of Auburn’s 1983 national championship team. “Auburn afforded me a great opportunity to get an education and pursue endeavors in my life that I never thought would be possible. 

“I attribute those opportunities to Auburn University and the men in my life who I met at Auburn, men who pushed me beyond where I thought I could go and the men who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. The men who taught me about success and winning but also taught me about how to deal with failure and with all those adversities in your life. 

“I’ve tried to mentor my kids and others who work for me the same way and pass that along. That’s what we owe. That’s what our purpose is.”

A 1984 team captain, Carr became one of the leaders of Auburn’s defense in Dye’s early years on the Plains.

“Pat Dye is a big influence on me,” Carr said. “He had a work ethic, a toughness and a grittiness that he instilled in his players. Coach Dye believed in us.”

Subbing for an injured teammate, Carr made his first start as a freshman after a pep talk from Dye during the pregame meal. 

“He probably saw the look of worry or concern on my face,” Carr said. “He said, ‘I wouldn’t put you out there if I didn’t believe in you.’ He instilled that confidence.”

20251129_FB_vs_BAMA_LA_0176AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 29 - Greg Carr during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the #10 Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Photo by Luke Allen/Auburn Tigers

Carr also credits defensive coordinator Frank Orgel for helping him develop.

“Great men who we would’ve all run through a brick wall if they asked us to do that,” Carr said. “They saw the potential in us. They worked us and they loved us, and we could see that love. We felt the hard work but we also felt the love, too.”

“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,” said Steve Hatchell, NFF & College Hall of Fame president and CEO. “His enshrinement highlights the way great defenders set the tone for championship teams.”

The induction festivities afforded Carr’s children an opportunity to see their dad in a new light. The Carrs, says Gregg, watch a lot of football but don’t talk often about his glory days.

“A wonderful experience for me and my family,” Carr said. “This has been nice for them, especially for me to spend this time with my family.”

Carr becomes the ninth Tiger player inducted into the Hall, joining Jimmy Hitchcock (1930-32), Walter Gilbert (1934-36), Ed Dyas (1958-60), Tucker Frederickson (1962-64), Pat Sullivan(1969-71), Terry Beasley (1969-71), Bo Jackson (1982-85) and Tracy Rocker (1985-88). Hall of Fame coaches who headed the Auburn program include Michael Donahue, Pat Dye, John Heisman and Shug Jordan.

Larry Blakeney, who played football and baseball and served as an assistant coach at Auburn, is also a member of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements as Troy’s head coach. Blakeney coached at Troy from 1991-2014, winning 61.1 percent of his games.

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Gregg Carr’s NFF bio:

The heart of the Auburn defense in the early 1980s, Gregg Carr established himself as a hard-hitting and instinctive linebacker with game-changing playmaking abilities. The Birmingham, Alabama, native now becomes the ninth Auburn player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American in 1984, Carr was Auburn's leading tackler as a sophomore (125 tackles), junior (136) and the second leading tackler as a senior (139). A two-time First Team All-SEC selection and 1984 SEC Lineman of the Year, Carr amassed 453 career tackles, currently ranking him second in school history. His career totals include 289 solo tackles, which also rank second in the school record books, and nine sacks. His 139 total tackles as a senior rank eighth in school annals for a single season.

Playing for College Football Hall of Fame coach Pat Dye, Carr helped the Tigers to a 34-14 record, a SEC title and victories in the 1982 Tangerine Bowl, the 1984 Sugar Bowl and the 1984 Liberty Bowl. His sophomore season, the Tigers beat archrival Alabama for the first time in ten years, handing Hall of Fame Coach Bear Bryant the final loss of his career. His junior season, the Tigers claimed the 1983 SEC title, the school's first conference crown since 1957. Auburn finished ranked No. 14 in 1982, No. 3 in 1983 and No. 14 in 1984 during Carr's run with the Tigers.

Carr, the 1984 team captain, also excelled in the classroom, boasting a 3.22 GPA in civil engineering. His combined academic and athletic accomplishments earned an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award and recognition as an Academic All-American and as one the NCAA's Top Five Student-Athletes.

Drafted in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh, Carr played four seasons with the Steelers. He graduated from the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Medicine in 1994, and he is currently an orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham.

Carr was inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010, he was selected as a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award as well as being honored as an SEC Legend.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer