By Dylan Smith, Staff Writer
Running onto Amos Alonzo Stagg Football Field from the building named after the man who gave everything to the sport he loved, is a rush. Imagine being in the early to mid-1960s with a sign on the gate entrance saying “Penn State in ’68.”
James W. Garrett, who passed away Friday, Feb. 9 at the age of 87, always had an intensity and an attention to detail that was unmatched.
“He would move us not by steps but by 4-6 inches,” Susquehanna Hall of Fame lineman Bill Muir ’65 said. In addition, when Muir hopped on Garrett’s coaching staff upon graduation, the attention to detail did not go unnoticed, “He would go through the playbook, play by play and position by position of what needed to be done and the coaches would present that information to the players,” Muir said.
That attention to detail proved to be a factor for the success he had at Susquehanna.
In six seasons, he held a record of 39-11-1, where he turned the team into a defensive powerhouse with 18 shutouts. Garrett, former Utah State and professional full back, is quoted saying, “It is very difficult for small colleges to recruit the outstanding offensive specialists [because] they are picked to play at larger schools, but defense is constant and dependable.” In the 1963 season, his team had four of his 18 shutouts, 31-0, 32-0, 41-0 and 68-0, which is the fourth-largest victory in school history.
His teams also hold Susquehanna season records: 5.41 yards per carry in 1962, 2,725 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns in 1964.
Former Susquehanna head coach and current Advancement Officer Steve Briggs reminisced about Garrett’s speech in 2001 when the late coach said, “I don’t deserve it, put every player on [the complex].”
Garrett’s dedication to the players he coached and mentored extended well past his time on the gridiron.
His house off of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey had a 40 x 80 yard open field in his backyard. He would welcome high school and college students alike to run drills and practices for anyone who was willing to work.
Garrett was never afraid to face things head on but, “he was trying to be constructive,” Muir said regarding his coach and mentor. “He would be positive in the most negative situations.”
Muir was in awe of Garrett from the first day they met, through their many years together at both the collegiate and professional levels, to the last day. The late coach has touched the lives of many members of the National Football League and Susquehanna community alike, but it is Muir’s words that prove the level of appreciation many players have for Garrett.
Muir said, “There are no words in the English dictionary that can describe how much this man meant to me.”