Former associates offer big thumbs-up to Garrett
Tom Orsborn
Express-News
Former San Antonio Riders defensive coordinator Bill Bradley always knew his unit was in for a tough mental challenge when it faced Jason Garrett in practice.
"He was probably the smartest quarterback I've ever had to go against in practice," said Bradley, now defensive coordinator at Baylor. "You know, Jason is the son of a coach and has been around the game since he's been in the baby carriage."
Bradley and former Riders general manager John Peterson never strayed too far from talking about Garrett's intelligence after they learned Thursday the Dallas Cowboys had added the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach to their coaching staff.
Garrett was the starting quarterback for the Riders of the NFL-owned World League of American Football in 1991, two years before he signed as a free agent with the Cowboys.
"Jason is an extremely intelligent person who has very strong football instincts and is very poised," said Peterson, who still lives in San Antonio and has worked as a scout for the Seattle Seahawks the last 10 years. "When he was with the Riders, he had a great grasp of the offense and coverages.
"Even then, you just knew he was going to be an excellent coach."
Peterson made Garrett the Rider's first draft pick in 1991, the first year of the franchise's two-year existence.
Garrett set NCAA Division I-AA records at Princeton for most consecutive passes without an interception (176) and completion percentage (68.2) en route to winning Ivy League Player of the Year honors in 1988.
His professional career began in 1989 with a stint on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad. After a year as a coach at Princeton, he completed 66 of 113 passes for 609 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns with the Riders in an injury-shortened season.
Garrett moved to Canada after the season to play for the Canadian League's Ottawa RoughRiders. He re-joined the Riders in 1992 before his release allowed him to sign with the Cowboys.
Peterson likened Garrett to former Riders coach Mike Riley, now head coach at Oregon State.
"Jason's personality is very similar to Mike's," Peterson said. "They are both very approachable and easy to communicate with. They are both friendly, professional and humble."
Bradley agreed.
"The thing I liked about Jason is that pretty much all the time he had a smile on his face," Bradley said. "He's a very positive guy. Even in bad situations during practice or a game, he never lost his cool. He was a pleasure to be around."
Bradley and Peterson have stayed friends with Garrett through the years.
"He hasn't changed a bit," Bradley said. "He's still easy to talk to, and I've never found anything negative to say about him. Everyone who knows him will say the same. Now his wife may say he wears the same socks for weeks, but you are never going to find anybody saying anything worse than that about him."
Express-News
Former San Antonio Riders defensive coordinator Bill Bradley always knew his unit was in for a tough mental challenge when it faced Jason Garrett in practice.
"He was probably the smartest quarterback I've ever had to go against in practice," said Bradley, now defensive coordinator at Baylor. "You know, Jason is the son of a coach and has been around the game since he's been in the baby carriage."
Bradley and former Riders general manager John Peterson never strayed too far from talking about Garrett's intelligence after they learned Thursday the Dallas Cowboys had added the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach to their coaching staff.
Garrett was the starting quarterback for the Riders of the NFL-owned World League of American Football in 1991, two years before he signed as a free agent with the Cowboys.
"Jason is an extremely intelligent person who has very strong football instincts and is very poised," said Peterson, who still lives in San Antonio and has worked as a scout for the Seattle Seahawks the last 10 years. "When he was with the Riders, he had a great grasp of the offense and coverages.
"Even then, you just knew he was going to be an excellent coach."
Peterson made Garrett the Rider's first draft pick in 1991, the first year of the franchise's two-year existence.
Garrett set NCAA Division I-AA records at Princeton for most consecutive passes without an interception (176) and completion percentage (68.2) en route to winning Ivy League Player of the Year honors in 1988.
His professional career began in 1989 with a stint on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad. After a year as a coach at Princeton, he completed 66 of 113 passes for 609 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns with the Riders in an injury-shortened season.
Garrett moved to Canada after the season to play for the Canadian League's Ottawa RoughRiders. He re-joined the Riders in 1992 before his release allowed him to sign with the Cowboys.
Peterson likened Garrett to former Riders coach Mike Riley, now head coach at Oregon State.
"Jason's personality is very similar to Mike's," Peterson said. "They are both very approachable and easy to communicate with. They are both friendly, professional and humble."
Bradley agreed.
"The thing I liked about Jason is that pretty much all the time he had a smile on his face," Bradley said. "He's a very positive guy. Even in bad situations during practice or a game, he never lost his cool. He was a pleasure to be around."
Bradley and Peterson have stayed friends with Garrett through the years.
"He hasn't changed a bit," Bradley said. "He's still easy to talk to, and I've never found anything negative to say about him. Everyone who knows him will say the same. Now his wife may say he wears the same socks for weeks, but you are never going to find anybody saying anything worse than that about him."
posted by The Gryphon at 6:19 PM
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