David Carr played only one year with the 49ers, but he has a lot to go back to in San Francisco this weekend.

After stints with three teams in eight years, the city by the Bay offered up a fresh start and a rare opportunity to the former first overall pick. Dawning the scarlet and gold, Carr completed the trifecta of playing at all three levels of football in his home state of California.

Born in Bakersfield, Carr played at Stockdale High School before working his way north to Fresno State and landing as a pro in San Francisco. It seemed like a perfect fit for Carr, who even has an uncle who played tight end for the 49ers in the late '70s.

"I thought so, absolutely," said Carr, who played with the Texans and Panthers before his first stint with the Giants. "Then we had the season we had last year."

Carr played in only one game there – a midgame substitution for an injured Alex Smith – and the 49ers cleaned house after a 6-10 finish that was the organization's eighth losing season in nine years. Over the offseason, Carr left and Smith stayed.

"A lot of people had to leave, me included," Carr said. "But it ended up working out for me and hopefully for a lot of the guys that had to leave. It would have been nice to get a chance to stay out there, but this worked out pretty well too."

Also switching coasts was center David Baas, and the two will face their former team for the first time this weekend.

"I still talk to a lot of the guys there, but actually one of my good friends there was Dave Baas," Carr said. "He came with me so it worked out pretty well. But it's going to be nice to see those guys. I was only there for the year, but at the same time, you still develop some relationships."

Those relationships also included the staff. The 49ers' current defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst were with Carr during his tenure in Houston.

Carr knew it was just a matter of putting the pieces together on a team that has already surpassed last year's win total halfway through the season.

"I think they're a great football team personnel-wise," Carr said. "I knew that when I went out there, that's why I went…It's not a surprise to me why they're doing what they do. They have good direction now. They have a good staff now. So it's a no brainer. It's going to be a tough challenge for us."Join other diehard Giants Fans!  Follow @Giants

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