David Garrard
Encyclopedia
David Douglas Garrard is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent.
Garrard played college football
at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010. He was released from the team on September 6, 2011.
and grew up in Durham
, North Carolina
. When he was fourteen his mother died of breast cancer
; when he began his professional career he created The David Garrard Foundation to promote breast cancer awareness and research.
Garrard attended Southern High School
in Durham, where he was named an All-America
choice by Prep Stars and rated the best high school quarterback in North Carolina
. Veteran high school coaches in North Carolina said Garrard possessed one of the strongest arms they had ever seen and compared Garrard to former NFL quarterback Roman Gabriel
.
. Although physically larger than most quarterbacks at more than 240 pounds, Garrard displayed exceptional mobility. Former East Carolina head football coach Steve Logan
compared the experience of tackling Garrard to "getting hit by a beer truck." Garrard also proved durable, starting every game for the Pirates in the 1999, 2000
, and 2001
seasons.
In Garrard's sophomore season, he led the Pirates to a 9–3 record with victories over the West Virginia Mountaineers
, South Carolina Gamecocks
, Miami Hurricanes
, and North Carolina State Wolfpack. In the fourth game of the season against Miami, East Carolina came back from a 20–3 deficit to defeat the 13th-ranked Miami Hurricanes, 27–23. Garrard threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Keith Stokes
for the go-ahead score in the final minutes of the game. ECU was unable to play the scheduled home game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
on its campus in Greenville, NC, because Hurricane Floyd
had ravaged the eastern part of the state the prior week. The hurricane also prevented the Pirates from returning to Greenville following a road victory against South Carolina, leaving ECU's football team stranded in Columbia, SC. East Carolina moved the game against Miami to Carter-Finley Stadium
in Raleigh. The victory propelled ECU into the Associated Press college football poll's top 25. The Pirates spent eleven weeks ranked in the AP poll, climbed to as high as 16th in the poll, and finished the regular season ranked 20th. East Carolina dropped out of the top 25 to 27th in the voting after losing 28–14 in the Mobile Alabama Bowl to Texas Christian University
and the Horned Frogs' star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson
.
ECU finished 8–4 in Garrard's junior season. Garrard capped the season by throwing an unbelievable touchdown and rushing for another acrobatic TD in a 40–27 victory against Texas Tech in the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl. Garrard's senior season began with high expectations but ended in disappointment. Although East Carolina averaged more than 35 points per game in 2001, the Pirates finished the season with a 6–6 record.
Ironically, the final game of Garrard's college career pitted him against Marshall University
and its starting quarterback, Byron Leftwich
, in the 2001 GMAC Bowl
. Garrard and Leftwich would eventually be teammates with the Jacksonville Jaguars and compete for the team's starting
quarterback position. In the highest-scoring bowl game in college football history, Leftwich brought Marshall back from a thirty-point deficit to defeat Garrard's East Carolina Pirates
64–61 in double-overtime .
Garrard broke 28 school passing and offensive records at East Carolina and joined a select few quarterbacks who achieved more than 9000 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards in their collegiate careers.
Garrard went on to graduate from East Carolina University
in 2001 with a degree in Construction Management.
. However, following the 2002 season, the Jaguars fired then head coach Tom Coughlin
, and new general manager James Harris drafted Byron Leftwich
with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft
. Leftwich replaced an injured Mark Brunell as the starting quarterback
during the 2003 season and Garrard continued to serve as the team's backup quarterback.
Doctors diagnosed Garrard with Crohn's disease
in 2004. Despite undergoing surgery in June 2004 to remove a nearly 12-inch portion of his intestines, Garrard played during the 2004 NFL season
.
Garrard started for the Jaguars' when Leftwich was injured during Week 9 of the 2004 National Football League
season with a sprained left knee. After the 2004 season, Garrard opted to stay with the Jaguars as a back-up instead of pursuing a chance at starting for another team.
Garrard also started 5 games of the 2005 season when Leftwich went down with an injury in week 11. With Garrard as starting quarterback, the Jaguars finished the regular season by going 4–1 and made the playoffs, with the only loss coming at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts
. Leftwich then returned as the starter for the AFC wild card playoff game, in which the Jaguars suffered a 28–3 loss to the New England Patriots
.
In 2006, Del Rio named Garrard the starter in Week 8 and attributed the change to Leftwich's chronic injury problems, but Leftwich claimed he was healthy enough to continue serving as the team's starter. Garrard was inconsistent and went 5–5 to finish the season as the Jaguars missed the playoffs. In November 2006, Garrard was intercepted four times in a 13–10 loss at home against the Houston Texans
.
In February 2007, Del Rio attempted to avoid a quarterback controversy by naming Leftwich the team's unconditional starting quarterback. However, Garrard outplayed Leftwich in the 2007 preseason, throwing for 456 yards, one passing touchdown and another rushing touchdown. Del Rio said Garrard gave the Jaguars a better chance to win than Leftwich and announced Garrard would be the starting quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 31, 2007. The Jaguars released Leftwich the next day.
Garrard led the Jaguars to a 11–5 record and threw for 18 TDs and 2,509 yds despite missing 3 games with a sprained ankle. He also tied an NFL record by throwing only 3 interceptions, which gave him a quarterback rating of 102.2.
On January 5, 2008, In the AFC Wild Card Game, Garrard led his team to a 31–29 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down 29–28 with 1:56 to go, he led his team in a field goal-scoring drive highlighted by a 32-yard run on 4th and 2 that eventually set up the game winning field goal for the Jaguars.
On January 12, 2008, In the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, David threw for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception against the unbeaten New England Patriots
. However, the Patriots won the game, 31–20.
On April 7, 2008 it was announced that the Jaguars and Garrard had agreed to a contract extension, worth $60 million for 6 years.
In 2008, the Jaguars slumped to a 5–11 record, with an injured offensive line. Garrard threw for 3,620 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, giving him a quarterback rating of 81.7. The Jaguars missed the playoffs, and finished last in the AFC South.
On January 24, 2010, David Garrard was selected as the third quarterback for the AFC team of the 2010 Pro Bowl
, backing up Matt Schaub
and Vince Young
after Peyton Manning
, Philip Rivers
, Tom Brady
, Ben Roethlisberger
and Carson Palmer
were unable to participate.
Garrard was released by Jacksonville on September 6, 2011, less than a week before the start of the 2011 regular season.
. The couple was married in February, 2004 and have one child.
Garrard suffers from Crohn's disease
and has appeared in television commercials regarding treating the illness. He has spoken to children at the Painted Turtle Camp, a camp for children with disorders about living with Crohn's disease.
Garrard has also appeared in a Zaxby's
commercial
David Garrard has been the spokesman for 121 Financial Credit Union (formerly Florida Telco Credit Union), located in Jacksonville, Florida, since 2007.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent.
Garrard played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010. He was released from the team on September 6, 2011.
Early life
Garrard was born in East Orange, New JerseyEast Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
and grew up in Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. When he was fourteen his mother died of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
; when he began his professional career he created The David Garrard Foundation to promote breast cancer awareness and research.
Garrard attended Southern High School
Southern High School (North Carolina)
Southern High School is located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Southern is a 4A school in the North Carolina School District. Southern has prominent football, baseball, and basketball programs as well as the Symphonic Soul of the South Marching Band. There are currently 1574 students. Southern is...
in Durham, where he was named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
choice by Prep Stars and rated the best high school quarterback in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Veteran high school coaches in North Carolina said Garrard possessed one of the strongest arms they had ever seen and compared Garrard to former NFL quarterback Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
.
College career
Garrard attended East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
. Although physically larger than most quarterbacks at more than 240 pounds, Garrard displayed exceptional mobility. Former East Carolina head football coach Steve Logan
Steve Logan (football)
Steve Logan is an American football coach currently serving as the running backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was the head coach at East Carolina University from 1992–2002, where he is the all-time winning coach in program history.-Early years:Logan is a...
compared the experience of tackling Garrard to "getting hit by a beer truck." Garrard also proved durable, starting every game for the Pirates in the 1999, 2000
East Carolina Pirates football, 2000-2009
- 2000 :- 2001 :- 2002 :- 2003 :- 2004 :- 2005 :- 2006 :-Schedule:- 2007 :- 2008 :- 2009 :...
, and 2001
East Carolina Pirates football, 2000-2009
- 2000 :- 2001 :- 2002 :- 2003 :- 2004 :- 2005 :- 2006 :-Schedule:- 2007 :- 2008 :- 2009 :...
seasons.
In Garrard's sophomore season, he led the Pirates to a 9–3 record with victories over the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
, South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
, Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, and North Carolina State Wolfpack. In the fourth game of the season against Miami, East Carolina came back from a 20–3 deficit to defeat the 13th-ranked Miami Hurricanes, 27–23. Garrard threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Keith Stokes
Keith Stokes
Keith Stokes is a professional Canadian and American football wide receiver who currently plays for the Philadelphia Soul.-Junior college career:...
for the go-ahead score in the final minutes of the game. ECU was unable to play the scheduled home game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Bagwell Field at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium is the on-campus football facility for the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, North Carolina. The official capacity of the stadium is 50,000, making it the third largest college stadium in North Carolina. The record attendance for the stadium was on October...
on its campus in Greenville, NC, because Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Floyd triggered the third largest evacuation in US history when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states were ordered from their homes as it approached...
had ravaged the eastern part of the state the prior week. The hurricane also prevented the Pirates from returning to Greenville following a road victory against South Carolina, leaving ECU's football team stranded in Columbia, SC. East Carolina moved the game against Miami to Carter-Finley Stadium
Carter-Finley Stadium
Carter-Finley Stadium is home to the North Carolina State University Wolfpack football team. It was opened in 1966 and now has a seating capacity of 57,583 seats....
in Raleigh. The victory propelled ECU into the Associated Press college football poll's top 25. The Pirates spent eleven weeks ranked in the AP poll, climbed to as high as 16th in the poll, and finished the regular season ranked 20th. East Carolina dropped out of the top 25 to 27th in the voting after losing 28–14 in the Mobile Alabama Bowl to Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
and the Horned Frogs' star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
.
ECU finished 8–4 in Garrard's junior season. Garrard capped the season by throwing an unbelievable touchdown and rushing for another acrobatic TD in a 40–27 victory against Texas Tech in the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl. Garrard's senior season began with high expectations but ended in disappointment. Although East Carolina averaged more than 35 points per game in 2001, the Pirates finished the season with a 6–6 record.
Ironically, the final game of Garrard's college career pitted him against Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
and its starting quarterback, Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
, in the 2001 GMAC Bowl
GMAC Bowl
The GoDaddy.com Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. It currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference, and...
. Garrard and Leftwich would eventually be teammates with the Jacksonville Jaguars and compete for the team's starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback position. In the highest-scoring bowl game in college football history, Leftwich brought Marshall back from a thirty-point deficit to defeat Garrard's East Carolina Pirates
East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates are the intercollegiate sports teams representing East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams sponsored by the university compete in NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA...
64–61 in double-overtime .
Garrard broke 28 school passing and offensive records at East Carolina and joined a select few quarterbacks who achieved more than 9000 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards in their collegiate careers.
Garrard went on to graduate from East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
in 2001 with a degree in Construction Management.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Garrard was drafted as the apparent successor to starting quarterback Mark BrunellMark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
. However, following the 2002 season, the Jaguars fired then head coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
, and new general manager James Harris drafted Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. Leftwich replaced an injured Mark Brunell as the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
during the 2003 season and Garrard continued to serve as the team's backup quarterback.
Doctors diagnosed Garrard with Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
in 2004. Despite undergoing surgery in June 2004 to remove a nearly 12-inch portion of his intestines, Garrard played during the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
.
Garrard started for the Jaguars' when Leftwich was injured during Week 9 of the 2004 National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
season with a sprained left knee. After the 2004 season, Garrard opted to stay with the Jaguars as a back-up instead of pursuing a chance at starting for another team.
Garrard also started 5 games of the 2005 season when Leftwich went down with an injury in week 11. With Garrard as starting quarterback, the Jaguars finished the regular season by going 4–1 and made the playoffs, with the only loss coming at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. Leftwich then returned as the starter for the AFC wild card playoff game, in which the Jaguars suffered a 28–3 loss to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
In 2006, Del Rio named Garrard the starter in Week 8 and attributed the change to Leftwich's chronic injury problems, but Leftwich claimed he was healthy enough to continue serving as the team's starter. Garrard was inconsistent and went 5–5 to finish the season as the Jaguars missed the playoffs. In November 2006, Garrard was intercepted four times in a 13–10 loss at home against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In February 2007, Del Rio attempted to avoid a quarterback controversy by naming Leftwich the team's unconditional starting quarterback. However, Garrard outplayed Leftwich in the 2007 preseason, throwing for 456 yards, one passing touchdown and another rushing touchdown. Del Rio said Garrard gave the Jaguars a better chance to win than Leftwich and announced Garrard would be the starting quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 31, 2007. The Jaguars released Leftwich the next day.
Garrard led the Jaguars to a 11–5 record and threw for 18 TDs and 2,509 yds despite missing 3 games with a sprained ankle. He also tied an NFL record by throwing only 3 interceptions, which gave him a quarterback rating of 102.2.
On January 5, 2008, In the AFC Wild Card Game, Garrard led his team to a 31–29 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down 29–28 with 1:56 to go, he led his team in a field goal-scoring drive highlighted by a 32-yard run on 4th and 2 that eventually set up the game winning field goal for the Jaguars.
On January 12, 2008, In the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, David threw for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception against the unbeaten New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. However, the Patriots won the game, 31–20.
On April 7, 2008 it was announced that the Jaguars and Garrard had agreed to a contract extension, worth $60 million for 6 years.
In 2008, the Jaguars slumped to a 5–11 record, with an injured offensive line. Garrard threw for 3,620 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, giving him a quarterback rating of 81.7. The Jaguars missed the playoffs, and finished last in the AFC South.
On January 24, 2010, David Garrard was selected as the third quarterback for the AFC team of the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
, backing up Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
and Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
after Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
were unable to participate.
Garrard was released by Jacksonville on September 6, 2011, less than a week before the start of the 2011 regular season.
Personal life
Garrard proposed to his wife Mary before a 2002 Jaguars preseason game; the proposal was broadcast on the stadium's JumboTronJumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
. The couple was married in February, 2004 and have one child.
Garrard suffers from Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
and has appeared in television commercials regarding treating the illness. He has spoken to children at the Painted Turtle Camp, a camp for children with disorders about living with Crohn's disease.
Garrard has also appeared in a Zaxby's
Zaxby's
Zaxby's is a franchised chain of fast casual restaurants that operates primarily in the Southeastern United States with 500 locations. Zaxby's 500th location opened in Tifton, Georgia the summer of 2010. The first Zaxby's was opened in Statesboro, Georgia, near the Georgia Southern University...
commercial
David Garrard has been the spokesman for 121 Financial Credit Union (formerly Florida Telco Credit Union), located in Jacksonville, Florida, since 2007.