Walt Garrison Cause Of Death: Cowboy par excellence on and off the football field, Walt Garrison passed away on Wednesday at the age of 79. It was said that he has been struggling with Alzheimer’s disease for some time.
While playing with the Dallas Cowboys during the Tom Landry era, Garrison earned a reputation as a rugged, hard-nosed fullback. Previously, from 1962 through 1965, Garrison was a member of the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team. Even though he was under contract with Dallas, Garrison spent his offseasons competing as a steer wrestler on the professional rodeo circuit.
“Coach Landry pointed out that there was a clause in my contract that if I got hurt doing another sport, that my contract would be null and void, and I said, ‘OK,'” recalled Garrison.
Garrison would charge at rival football players like he would charge at cattle in the rodeo arena.
Rest in peace to Dallas Cowboy, OSU Cowboy, and larger-than-life American cowboy Walt Garrison 💙 pic.twitter.com/MJU9gPXVnB
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) October 12, 2023
Career From Oklahoma State University to the National Football League
The Denton, Texas, native excelled at neighboring Lewisville High School before deciding to attend Oklahoma State University and play college basketball. At Oklahoma State, he played linebacker before switching to running back. In 1964, when Garrison was a junior, he rushed for 730 yards to finish first in the Big Eight.
In 1965, as a senior, he amassed 924 rushing yards, 107 receiving yards, and five touchdowns on the way to being chosen to the All-Big Eight team. In his final game for Oklahoma State, he helped the Cowboys beat the Sooners for the first time in 20 years.
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Following that year, he was selected to participate in the East-West Shrine Game, Senior Bowl, Coaches All-America Game, and College All-Star Game. Seven times during his college career, he rushed for at least 100 yards, with his greatest performance coming against Kansas State, when he gained 173 yards on the ground.
For Garrison, “Oklahoma State was the only (school) that offered me a scholarship,” he said in an interview with The Oklahoman in 2007. It doesn’t take long to make a decision when there’s only one possible outcome.
“Stillwater was a nice town. Many warned me that I wouldn’t enjoy living in Stillwater due of its remote location. At least, that was my favorite part. Horses, cattle, sheep, and swine were all present. Things I was accustomed to.
Garrison, who Dallas drafted in the fifth round in 1966, spent his entire nine-year professional career as a great fullback with the Cowboys and was widely regarded as a fan favorite. His efforts brought the Cowboys to two championship games. In 1971, his best year, the team won the Super Bowl 24-3 and he had 10 touchdowns and 1,174 total yards. That year, he earned a spot on the Pro Bowl roster.
In 1975, Garrison’s NFL career was cut short by a knee injury he sustained during steer wrestling. He left Dallas as their third all-time top rusher and fourth all-time leading receiver. After his time in Dallas, Garrison has 3,886 yards rushing, 1,794 yards receiving, and 39 touchdowns as a whole.
