Walt Garrison, a former Oklahoma State Cowboy who topped the Big 8 in rushing, Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, and rodeo cowboy during the NFL offseason, has passed away at the age of 79 in Dallas.
The NFL team said in a story posted on its website Thursday that Garrison died overnight. It did not give a cause of death.
Garrison, a fifth-round draft pick from Oklahoma State University, dedicated nine years of his career to Dallas before retiring in 1974. At the time of his retirement, he was the franchise’s third-best rusher and fourth-best receiver. To this day, Garrison maintains the fourth-highest average of 4.32 yards per carry in Dallas’ history and ranks ninth with a total of 3,491 rushing yards.
Garrison’s rodeo career, which he professed as his first love, is what truly defined him as the quintessential cowboy. During his rookie season, despite being a less frequently used backup, the Cowboys revealed that he would participate in local rodeos as a steer wrestler following team meetings. He would make it a point to return to the hotel before the 11 p.m. curfew.
Garrison was quoted, “I wasn’t starting. My role was returning punts and kicks, and covering on the kamikaze squad, that was my only job. And truly, the risk of getting hurt was higher in these roles than in rodeoing. I didn’t consider it much, but the Cowboys did.”
Soon, Dallas coach Tom Landry banned moonlighting during the season. However, Garrison continued in the offseason.
“Coach Landry highlighted a clause in my contract which stated that it would become null and void if I sustained injury while participating in another sport,” Garrison explained. “I responded with ‘OK’ because I didn’t perceive rodeo to be that dangerous.”
In the fifth Super Bowl following the 1970 season, Garrison ran for 65 yards but was defeated 16-13 by Johnny Unitas, Earl Morrall, and the Baltimore Colts. He ran for 74 yards in the subsequent Super Bowl where Roger Staubach led Dallas to a 24-3 triumph over Miami. Garrison had an exceptional year in 1972, running for 784 yards, scoring seven touchdowns, and recording 390 yards and three additional touchdowns as a receiver. This performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl.
The Cowboys confirmed that Garrison injured his knee in 1975 during a steer wrestling, also referred to as “bulldogging”. This injury forced him into retirement from the NFL at the age of 30.
“Rodeo and football share many similarities,” Garrison stated, likening the duration of wrestling a steer to the ground – around three to four seconds – to the average length of an NFL play. “The energy and concentration required for bulldogging is identical to what’s needed in football,” he added.
Garrison initially joined Oklahoma State as a linebacker but quickly transitioned to running back. He topped the Big 8 in 1964 for rushing, surpassing Gale Sayers. During 10 games in 1965, he achieved 924 yards and five touchdowns.
He holds membership in the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Honor. Additionally, he was named to the Dallas Cowboys’ 25th anniversary team and is a member of both the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press
