Mike Garrett
Encyclopedia
Michael Lockett Garrett (born April 12, 1944 in Los Angeles, California
) is a former American collegiate and professional football
player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy
as a tailback
for the University of Southern California
Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs
and San Diego Chargers
. From 1993 until 2010 he was the athletic director
at USC.
n, Garrett set numerous NCAA
, Pac-8 Conference and USC records in his career by amassing a then unheard of 3,221 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. Garrett also led the nation in rushing in 1965 with 267 carries for 1,440 yards. He also caught 36 passes, returned 43 punts, returned 30 kickoffs and threw 6 passes. Two of his passes went for touchdowns. Garrett was awarded the 1965 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. He won the Heisman Trophy after the 1965 regular season. In 1985 he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
Garrett signaled the dawn of the "Tailback U" era, where USC produced a stream of top tailbacks included Heisman winners O.J. Simpson ('68), Charles White
('79) and Marcus Allen
('81); as well as Heisman runners-up Anthony Davis ('74) and Ricky Bell
('76).
Mike Garrett is a member of The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C.
National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.
playing for the Kansas City Chiefs
(1966–1969) and the NFL Chiefs in 1970 before he was traded to the NFL San Diego Chargers
(1970–1973). He was a two-time AFL All-Star
in 1966 and 1967. Garrett played in the first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl I)
with the Chiefs after the 1966 season. He contributed 17 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 28 yards, and 2 kickoff returns for 43 yards in their Super Bowl I loss.
Garrett won a World Championship ring with the Chiefs in the last AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl IV)
, when the AFL's Chiefs crushed the NFL's Vikings 23-7. Garrett was the top rusher of Super Bowl IV with 11 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown, also catching 2 passes for 25 yards and returning a kickoff for 18 yards.
In his 8 professional football seasons, Garrett rushed for 5,481 yards, caught 238 passes for 2,010 yards, returned 14 kickoffs for 323 yards, and returned 39 punts for 235 yards. Overall, Garrett gained a total of 8,049 yards and scored 49 touchdowns (35 rushing, 13 receiving, 1 punt return).
from Western State University College of Law
in 1986, but never took the bar exam. He was the director of business development for the Great Western Forum, worked in the district attorney
's office in San Diego and worked in various management positions. He also did color commentary
for USC football telecasts.
In January 1993, Garrett returned to USC to become its sixth athletic director
. He came under fire when he hired the heavily-criticized Pete Carroll
as head football coach in 2001, but redeemed himself when USC returned to status as a dominant football power. In 2005, he allowed safety Darnell Bing
who was at USC at the time to wear his retired number 20 for his senior season. In 2010 the USC football program was hit with severe NCAA sanctions, and USC self-imposed sanctions on its basketball program, in the wake of allegations about violations involving former USC stars Reggie Bush
and O.J. Mayo. On July 20, 2010, USC's incoming president, Max Nikias
, announced major changes in the athletic department, including Garrett's replacement (effective August 3, 2010) by businessman and former USC quarterback Pat Haden
.
in Los Angeles, California
.
Garrett was a brother of the Alpha Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega
fraternity while a student at USC.
Garret was a resident of Aliso Village housing projects
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) is a former American collegiate and professional football
Professional football
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
as a tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
for the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. From 1993 until 2010 he was the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at USC.
College career
A two time All-AmericaAll-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...
n, Garrett set numerous NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, Pac-8 Conference and USC records in his career by amassing a then unheard of 3,221 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. Garrett also led the nation in rushing in 1965 with 267 carries for 1,440 yards. He also caught 36 passes, returned 43 punts, returned 30 kickoffs and threw 6 passes. Two of his passes went for touchdowns. Garrett was awarded the 1965 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include...
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. He won the Heisman Trophy after the 1965 regular season. In 1985 he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Garrett signaled the dawn of the "Tailback U" era, where USC produced a stream of top tailbacks included Heisman winners O.J. Simpson ('68), Charles White
Charles White (American football)
Charles White is a former professional American football running back. He had a distinguished college career and later played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.-College football:...
('79) and Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
('81); as well as Heisman runners-up Anthony Davis ('74) and Ricky Bell
Ricky Bell (running back)
Ricky Lynn Bell younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was an American professional football player who played running back in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982...
('76).
Mike Garrett is a member of The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C.
The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.
The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., Inc. was founded in 1938 with the goals of "improving relationship between persons interested in the game of football; that there may be given encouragement for good, clean sport; that there may be a more perfect understanding among such persons; and, that...
National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.
Professional career
Garrett went on to star in the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
playing for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(1966–1969) and the NFL Chiefs in 1970 before he was traded to the NFL San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1970–1973). He was a two-time AFL All-Star
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
in 1966 and 1967. Garrett played in the first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl I)
Professional American football championship games
Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
with the Chiefs after the 1966 season. He contributed 17 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 28 yards, and 2 kickoff returns for 43 yards in their Super Bowl I loss.
Garrett won a World Championship ring with the Chiefs in the last AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl IV)
Professional American football championship games
Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
, when the AFL's Chiefs crushed the NFL's Vikings 23-7. Garrett was the top rusher of Super Bowl IV with 11 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown, also catching 2 passes for 25 yards and returning a kickoff for 18 yards.
In his 8 professional football seasons, Garrett rushed for 5,481 yards, caught 238 passes for 2,010 yards, returned 14 kickoffs for 323 yards, and returned 39 punts for 235 yards. Overall, Garrett gained a total of 8,049 yards and scored 49 touchdowns (35 rushing, 13 receiving, 1 punt return).
After professional football
After his professional football career, Mike Garrett earned his Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Western State University College of Law
Western State University College of Law
Western State University, College of Law is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni....
in 1986, but never took the bar exam. He was the director of business development for the Great Western Forum, worked in the district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's office in San Diego and worked in various management positions. He also did color commentary
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for USC football telecasts.
In January 1993, Garrett returned to USC to become its sixth athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
. He came under fire when he hired the heavily-criticized Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
as head football coach in 2001, but redeemed himself when USC returned to status as a dominant football power. In 2005, he allowed safety Darnell Bing
Darnell Bing
Darnell Bing is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
who was at USC at the time to wear his retired number 20 for his senior season. In 2010 the USC football program was hit with severe NCAA sanctions, and USC self-imposed sanctions on its basketball program, in the wake of allegations about violations involving former USC stars Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and O.J. Mayo. On July 20, 2010, USC's incoming president, Max Nikias
C. L. Max Nikias
Chrysostomos L. "Max" Nikias is the current President of the University of Southern California . His term as the 11th president of the university began on August 3, 2010.-Personal life and education:...
, announced major changes in the athletic department, including Garrett's replacement (effective August 3, 2010) by businessman and former USC quarterback Pat Haden
Pat Haden
Patrick Capper "Pat" Haden is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981...
.
Personal
Garrett graduated from Roosevelt High SchoolTheodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles)
See also Roosevelt High School for schools of the same nameTheodore Roosevelt High School is a high school located in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, California named for the 26th president of the United States....
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Garrett was a brother of the Alpha Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
fraternity while a student at USC.
Garret was a resident of Aliso Village housing projects
Aliso Village
Aliso Village was a housing project in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1942 and demolished 1999. The parcel was replaced by Pueblo del Sol.The complex was owned and managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles....
External links
- Mike Garrett's stats
- Mike Garrett Profile at USC Legends