Carl Choate was a standout student-athlete at Pasadena High School, starring in football, basketball, and track. As a co-captain of the 1958 football team, he helped lead the Eagles to the state championship game. He earned All-State honors and was named Mr. Pasadena High School as a senior. After high school, he attended Baylor University, where he became a key kicker and helped the Bears win the Gotham Bowl in 1962. Choate was inducted into the Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.