Derek Carr is expected to make his New Orleans Saints debut on Sunday against the Super Bowl defending champion Kansas City Chiefs — meaning his native San Joaquin Valley of California will be up before 10 a.m. Pacific tuning in.
But there’s another past Bulldog — Jake Haener — who became a Fresno State legend in his own right, giving the Central Valley of California another reason to tune in.
Jake Haener Likely To See Snaps in Pursuit of QB2 Role
The Saints became the only team in the NFL to feature not one but two past Bulldog quarterbacks on their roster when they drafted Haener in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The moment passed as a divine intervention moment for Haener for this reason: He admitted before the draft that he idolized Saints legend Drew Brees and tried to pattern his game after him. He even shared a picture of his younger self wearing a Brees Saints jersey on his Instagram page.
But there’s another reason why the stars seemingly aligned with the Saints for Haener — the chance to play with a fellow Fresno State star in Carr.
How To Watch Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints
- Start Time: 1 p.m. ET
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Haener Became Beloved for Showing Grit and Leading Title Run
New Orleans additionally has the rarity in their QB room ahead of 2023 of having two past Mountain West Conference title winners behind center.
Carr produced his run in his final season of 2013, leading Fresno State to a 24-17 win over Utah State, which saw him toss three touchdowns. Nearly a decade later, Haener guided FS to the top of the conference…and he did it by beating the Bulldogs’ most bitter rival, Boise State, on the Broncos’ home blue.
Of course, Haener is best revered by the “red wave” for these popular images from the game.
Jordan Mims punches in his second touchdown of the game.
FRESNO STATE 28, BOISE STATE 9 …. 9:42 to go
Bulldog QB Jake Haener with a message for the Boise State fans:#FresnoState #GoDogs @BarkBoard pic.twitter.com/cf6uxfV9O9
— Jackson Moore (@JacksonMoore247) December 4, 2022
That win was one of nine straight for the Bulldogs to close out the season 10-4 overall. But even before beating Boise State, Haener became revered for his night down in Pasadena on Sept. 18, 2021.
Haener did more than throw for 455 yards against a nationally ranked UCLA Bruins team that was fresh off trouncing LSU. Fighting off an injured hip, he engineered one final drive that witnessed this final touchdown with less than 20 seconds left.
JAKE. HAENER.
JALEN. CROPPER.LET'S GO @FresnoStateFB!#AtThePeak | #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/c3IiCF4IEQ
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) September 19, 2021
Haener embodied the grit that Fresno State fans love seeing out of its players. And that fourth-quarter comeback placed him in a stratosphere of Bulldogs legends.
That game was also referenced in Haener’s PFN scouting report before the draft. But additionally mentioned were his above-average arm strength, his accuracy (72.6% completion percentage in 2022), and his ability to create plays in chaos.
Now, Haener gives people in California — let alone those in the Central Valley — an added reason to gravitate toward the Saints beginning on Sunday.