Background
Carano was born in San Pedro, California, and attended Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.
Carano was born in San Pedro, California, and attended Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.
In 1976, he completed 148 of 277 passes for 2,075 yards and 13 touchdowns, while leading his team to the Division II Midwest Regional quarter-final and a number seven national ranking. In his college career he completed 337 of 636 passes for 5,095 yards and 37 touchdowns.
He also played for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League. He later became the starter at quarterback for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). In 1989, he was inducted into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 2015, he was inducted in the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
Dallas Cowboys
Carano was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft. He was the third-string quarterback behind Roger Staubach and Danny White.
In 1980, he was named the backup after the retirement of Staubach. Notably, the opposing quarterback for the Colts, David Humm, was also making his first and only NFL start, the only time in NFL history two "one and done" quarterbacks have ever faced official
Carano and Humm were the subjects of an NFL Films piece entitled "My One and Only", recounting the 1981 game.
The piece noted that the two quarterbacks had been friends since high school (both played high school football in Nevada), and remain friends to this day. In 1982, he was passed on the depth chart by Gary Hogeboom for the backup quarterback role behind White. Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL)
On December 1, 1983, Carano signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League, where he completed 53.7% of his passes, for 2,368 yards, 13 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in the 1984 season.
The next year owner Edward J. DeBartolo, Senior folded the team, after the USFL announced that they would be switching to a fall schedule in 1986.
In 1974, he helped achieve a number two Division II ranking (known as small college), after the school completed their one and only undefeated regular season. They would lose 49-11 to the University of Delaware in the Grantland Rice Bowl, one win from playing for the national championship. He is remembered for replacing the injured White in a 1981 Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears and helping the Cowboys to a 10-9 come-back win. The next game would be the only start in his NFL career, in which he completed 7 of 18 passes for 51 yards, in a 37-13 win against the Baltimore Colts.
