Walt Garrison was a star fullback for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s and ‘70s who would go on to be inducted into both the Texas Cowboys Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
- Died: October 11, 2023 (Who else died on October 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Weatherford, Texas, at the age of 79.
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Walt Garrison’s legacy
Born in Denton, Texas, Garrison went to Oklahoma State University as a defensive linebacker, but his coach, Phil Cutchin, had different ideas. He put Garrison at running back, a position he had never played before, but it was one in which he excelled. He led the Big Eight Conference in rushing his junior year and was second his senior year. He was a College All-Star Game player in the position and ended up in the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Honor.
He returned to his home state when he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1966, but for his first two seasons, he largely just returned kickoffs. In 1969, he was moved to fullback and emerged as a top talent. Garrison helped lead the team to a Super Bowl championship in the 1971-72 season and made the Pro Bowl in 1972. However, injuries from both on the field and Garrison’s rugged off-field life finally took their toll and he retired in 1974.
Garrison was known as a “real cowboy,” taking part in professional rodeos during the off season, wrestling steer, endorsing chewing tobacco, and building a reputation as a lively storyteller. He and writer John Tullius published a biography in 1988, “Once a Cowboy.” He also formed the Walt Garrison Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Garrison was part of the Cowboys’ 25th Anniversary Team and is a member of both the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Notable quote
“Like a football injury, things happen and you have to learn to live with it”—from a 1975 interview on WFAA 8 Dallas News
Tributes to Walt Garrison
Full obituary: NBC Sports
