AZUSA — Weston Carr’s mother Janine is a classically trained pianist.

“I’ll either print out something I want her to play,” Carr said, “or I’ll walk in and ask her to play something when I get home. She’s still got it.”

Weston Carr’s father Evan is a drummer for a jazz group. When he was younger he was in a group called Bozaque, hard rockers who reminded people of Living Colour and “Cult Of Personality,” which (unsolicited editorial comment here) is unquestionably the best guitar anthem in American rock history.

“We opened for Ice-T,” Evan said. “I always wondered why there were no African-American hard rock bands. Now our group plays at some clubs around town, and I play at our church.”

Weston Carr’s brother Austin is sort of a one-man village. He is in New Orleans Saints’ camp now, but when he was at Northwestern he was an All-Big Ten receiver, even as a walk-on. He also was an award-winning composer and donated stem cells to a patient he never had met. The after-effects put Austin in the hospital and enlarged his spleen, but he came back.

So Weston Carr could have had a Footprint Problem, sort of like Sasquatch’s kids. Achievement and excellence were his furniture.

Sure enough, he is upholding the family tradition, on a different path.

Weston had a nice career at Benicia High, in the Bay Area, but the big offers didn’t arrive. “I was running the 40 in the high 4.7s, so I didn’t expect much,” he said. Nevada and Boise State offered him a preferred walk-on shot. Eventually Northwestern did, too.

“But the moment we visited Azusa Pacific, he had his mind made up,” Evan Carr said.

Weston never doubted his decision. “It fits what I believe as a Christian,” he said.

Last year it began to look like a good football decision, too. He caught 86 passes for 1,458 yards and 15 touchdowns for APU. He was first-team All-America in Division II and got to the end zone 10 times in 11 games.

“I’m proud of the way he goes about his business,” Evan Carr said. “I noticed in youth football that he always went to the right place, but if he had to improvise he could manage that.”

“I just wasn’t Division I ready when I came out of high school,” said Weston, who redshirted and walked on. “It’s why this has been a good place for me to develop.”

The Cougars are 32-12 during their Division II years. Humboldt State was the only fellow Division II football program in California, and next year it is reclassifying. So Azusa Pacific is on the road a lot, and playing unfamiliar teams at home. Its opener is Saturday, at home, with West Texas State.

Carr has built himself to 6-foot-2 and 205. His success has emboldened him to not only think about the NFL but to arrange his academics so he can come as close to graduation as possible by the end of the year. Then he can devote the spring to the pro beauty pageant.

“My brother has talked to me a lot about the pro game,” Carr said. “I think Division I and the NFL are a little bit overhyped. (Veteran NFL receiver) Ted Ginn told Austin that a hitch is still a hitch, a slant still a slant. It’s the same game.

“I do know how difficult it is to make it. I also know that players from small schools have a chance.”

Terrell Watson was an All-American here. He was in and out of the NFL and just signed with the Chargers as a running back.

Offensive tackle Alex Cappa, from Humboldt, was the 94th player picked in this draft (Tampa Bay). More to the point, Minnesota’s Adam Thielen was fourth in yards receiving last year, and he went to Minnesota State, in Mankato. Tyreek Hill, from the Chiefs via South Alabama, ranked seventh in the league.

And, yeah, the Rams’ Cooper Kupp rolled up 869 yards in his rookie season, and he played at Eastern Washington, a FCS school just one level up from Division II.

An invitation to camp next year would be a pretty bright feather even for the Carr household. Evan would certainly be happy. His brother Everett was an All-Big Sky offensive tackle at Boise State. Guys who weighed 220 pounds could do that in the mid-70s.

Evan also got his own kids playing football at age 7, with pickup games on neighborhood streets.

“It’s been a good place for Weston,” Evan said. “Like I told both of them, go where the word of God is. It’s not always in churches.”

Or footprints.