Walt Garrison, Dallas Cowboys fullback dies at 79
It is a sad day for the Dallas Cowboys as one of the greats of the team has taken his departure from earth at the age of 79. Although the reason for his death is not clear yet, it is speculated that his Alzheimer’s disease was the main culprit of his sad departure. While the Cowboys are already in turmoil, Walt Garrison’s death has added more to the already existing dread of the Cowboys.
Walt Garrison was an interesting character, to say the least. From working in the tobacco industry to doing Rodeos, the man has done it all. His love for Rodeo overshadowed his NFL career till his last moments. Let’s take a look at some of his achievements on and off the field.
Walt Garrison was a ‘Cowboy and a cowboy’. His love for Rodeo and steer wrestling gave him opportunities that he might not have gotten otherwise. His association with the NFL led him to a tobacco commercial. This was when he was filmed by NFL Films during their campaign to catch their employees and players doing quirky things. The film was seen by US Smokeless Tobacco after he was seen doing snuff (dipping tobacco) on camera.
In his NFL career, he has been a Pro Bowler once and won the Super Bowl VI in 1972. He retired at the age of 30 due to a knee injury that he had a history of from his college days. Ironically, his NFL career was ended by something that he truly loved from the depth of his heart, Steer Wrestling. It was steer wrestling that gave Garrison the retiring injury.
Garrison, in his career, appeared in 13 playoff games and 119 regular season games and earned his Pro Bowl selection in 1972 after rushing for 784 yards and scoring 7 touchdowns.
Amid this, we are still waiting for a statement from Jerry Jones about Garrison’s death, but for now, he stays silent.
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.
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 writerublished 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. 
